TTGLX: Brothers to the End
by FireWolfFred
Summary: Anti-Spiral was defeated but the Spiral Nemesis remains a threat. A new race seeks for Simon to become Spiral Nemesis and destroy the known universe. The shinigami race to stop mass destruction. Could Kamina kill his bro even though all life is at stake?
1. 1 Your drill has one final job

**Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter One: Your drill has one final job.

The sky was a clear blue and a gentle breeze stirred the air. The ground was a patchwork between the old dusty earth that marked the last generation and the lush green areas of the new one. Colourful flowers dotted the land, planted almost a lifetime ago in a different age, a different world.

A lone old man wandered across the land, wrapped head to foot in ragged old robes that looked like they had seen a lifetime of wear. A staff helped to support him, its sleek shaft tipped with what appeared to be a drill bit. Slowly he crossed the dirt, approaching a young boy who was sat just outside one of the new cities that had sprung up around the planet. A distant figure stood sweeping the road.

The boy tried in vain to break into a thick shelled nut of some kind that was the size of his head. In his hands was a manual drill, the type once used in the old underground villages in order to dig new tunnels and expand. The drill span but couldn't find purchase on the hard shell.

Something stirred within the old man, some distant memory of a time long gone. Quietly he stood beside the boy, watching him with something akin to silent amusement.

"What's wrong, kid?" he asked after a while, his voice low but caring.

The boy turned to look at him, distress at his own failure apparent. "I can't drill a hole in this thing." he muttered dejectedly.

The old man squatted, the action surprisingly easy for someone his age. His eyes met with the kid's. "You're putting too much force into it. Try turning the drill more gently." he advised.

"Like this?" asked the child as he proceeded to turn the drill at a slower pace than before. Nearly instantly the shell cracked with a satisfying sound. The kid's smile lit up his little face. "Hey! It worked! You're awesome, mister." he beamed excitedly.

The old man smiled faintly too. "Of course it worked. Just who the hell do you…" he broke off his sentence. The boy was completely ignoring him, instead drinking heavily from the shell as noisily as possible. The man sighed distantly. "Ah, I guess I'm no one."

A sudden green light lit up the sky, illuminating the darkness of the night. The light flared across the sky like a comet. The boy jumped to his feet and pointed in wonder. "Ha! Awesome! It's Gurren Lagann! Look at all the Gurren Lagann's! Haha!" he laughed and whooped as he jumped on the spot.

The old man stood too, taking in the scene with hidden emotions. "You know, I think you're right."

"I wonder if I'll ever go." the boy said, his eyes wide at such a thought.

"Sure you will." replied the stranger with complete confidence. "Because the lights in the skies are stars. Yeah, that's right. Stars where our spiral cousins are waiting for us."

The boy soon departed, leaving the old man alone once again. He gazed at the stars with spiralling eyes that had witnessed more than few other beings could ever imagine. The tiny pigmole that was nestled against his neck squeaked gently to him in words that only the man could understand.

"Looks like things are moving along nicely without us, eh Boota. Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice, but then I wonder if there was any other path to take. You just have to pick a path and never look back, just like bro used to say."

"What if you had made the wrong decision though?" came a lofty voice that's tones seemed to resonate within the old man's soul. He turned to view a man who's skin glowed with a bubbling red energy. He was tall and handsome with white hair that flowed around him like water. His eyes, like the old man's, contained a spiral pattern.

The new figure continued to speak. "You could have had happiness, warmth, love and friendship but instead you chose a path of desolation. You had the very powers of the universe yet chose to waste them. You cut you destiny short, Simon the digger."

Simon considered these words in silence before answering. "You are right. I could have had all of that and more. To do so though would only increase the danger presented by the Spiral Nemesis. During my fight with the Anti-Spiral, I came to the realisation that if I continued to grow, I would become the Spiral Nemesis. That is why I chose this path."

"Truly commendable." hissed the other man, mockery lacing his voice. "But why do you fear the Spiral Nemesis? It is not the end of the universe but simply the birth of a new one. That should be welcomed, not shunned."

"Who are you?" asked Simon. His body remained relax but his eyes had hardened.

"That is a good question." grinned the man. "I am a man of the spiral just like yourself. There is a group of us that seek to amass enough spiral energy to bring about the Spiral Nemesis. We are the Meta-Spirals, and we seek to change the universe. We do not have enough power though, we require your…assistance."

Simon tightened his grip on the staff. "I will never help to bring about the Spiral Nemesis! That would be to betray my friends, the next generation and those that gave their lives for us to get to where we are today! Just who the hell do you think I am! I am Simon the digger!"

"Charming." muttered the Meta-Spiral. "It wasn't a request though. You will join us, whether you agree or not." He clicked his fingers and fire erupted around Simon. From the flames emerged another nine glimmering beings of various colours. Each one had a weapon pointed at the old man.

Simon broke into a wide grin as he levelled his staff. "Didn't you just here me? I am Simon the digger, liberator of humanity and spiral warrior. Do you really want to try and force me to do anything?"

"You are powerful, that is why we are here for you. You have not used your powers for decades though. You have grown old while we have grown in numbers. Resistance is futile."

"That's what both Lordgenome and the Anti-Spiral said. Didn't do much for them. As long as I believe in myself, then I cannot loose." Simon announced, Boota squeaking his agreement.

"We shall see." sighed the first Meta-Spiral. A drill appeared and encased his hand as he charged at Simon. The other nine did the same, each armed with some form of spiralling weapon.

Simon spun his staff around him, blades of blazing green energy roaring from its tip. He parried the first blow with the base of the pole, grabbing the second attacker by the arm and throwing him over his shoulder. More dived in, each one very skilled and powerful.

Spinning the staff like a plane propeller, Simon used it as a shield as an emerald spiral appeared in his free hand which he punched into the closest attacker, sending him flying away.

Blood sprayed from his side as a thin drill tore through his cloak. Simon jumped back, the cloak ripping from him as more drills lunged at him. The rags fell away revealing simple trousers and a bare chest. His muscles had only grown in his years of exile.

With new vigour he leapt at the Meta-Spirals, smashing into them with speed and power that was difficult to watch. His staff moved like a piston, the drill bit stabbing into foes again and again. It hit the floor, destroying the ground at creating a large crater from the raw power.

A drill tipped pick axe swung at Simon. He held the staff up to block the attack. The two weapons clashed and the staff shattered with an explosion that sent the pick axe wielder hurtling backward.

"You're through now, old man." sneered the original Meta.

"That's what you think!" Simon roared, two drills forming over his hands. In a second he was back among them, weaving and ducking through their ranks, creating devastation with every movement.

There was a crash as a giant golden gunman fell from the sky and hit the ground. It was easily the size of the Arc Gurren but its body and limbs were sleek and slender, move designed for speed than strength. It looked strangely like a wasp to Simon, its pointed head having an insect like appearance. It too glowed faintly with energy.

One of its feet lifted and smashed down onto Simon. He held up his drills, cutting straight through the golden metal. Tearing and rending sounds of distressed metal screamed out from the mecha until Simon re-emerged from its head in an explosion of sparks.

"Checkmate." chuckled the Meta-Spiral.

Simon looked down to see all ten of the Meta holding large guns of some kind. He cursed and tried to move but the Gunman had somehow formed a sphere of energy around itself, trapping Simon.

"The gunman was a simple ploy, a trap with the sole purpose of keeping you still. You are too predictable, digger." laughed the first Meta victoriously. "Fire!"

Ten streaks of blaring energy, each the colour of the individual Meta, rushed forward. Simon tried to block but the sheer power was overwhelming. Lightning jolted through his veins causing his limbs to spasm. There was so much pain…

He fell from the sky and hit the ground hard. The Meta formed a circle around him. It was all Simon could do just to stare helplessly up at them.

"Your drill has one final job."

Simon half laughed, half coughed. In a weak voice he croaked, "I gave up that drill long ago. You will never get it."

The Meta-Spirals laughed as one. "We know that it is still with the Gurren Lagann and that it is protected by the Galactic Federation. That is of no concern to us though. It will be you that takes it back. You will create the Spiral Nemesis."

"Never!" spat Simon defiantly.

"We will see, Simon the digger. We will see."

And with that said, they teleported away, taking Simon with them.

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_Merry Christmas everybody! How's this for a present, eh?_

_Yup new story is now up and running. This is a direct sequel to TTGL So this is the Heavens, so if you haven't read that then I recommend that you do so, although it isn't necessary as they both follow different stories. If you did read the prequel, then welcome back. Hope you all enjoyed. _

_And since it is Christmas time, how about you all give me a present of a nice, juicy review. Let's kick this story off with a bang people. So this is the Heavens hit the number 1 most reviewed Gurren Lagann crossover and the 3__rd__ highest over all Gurren Lagann relevant fic on this website. Let's get this one to 1__st__ place!_

_Also, another project I worked on, a Gurren Lagann AMV to Papa Roach's song Do or Die. Check it out here: .com/watch?v=Xk-wjWTRwks&feature=g-all_

_And if that wasn't enough, I'm also now on Twitter. If you want extra info on me or the story, then go check it out. /#!/MatthewRoys_

_With that said, hope to hear from you all soon. Omakes will be coming back as soon as the story is a few chapters in so don't worry. Hope I haven't disappointed. _

_-FireWolfFred_


	2. 2 The Gotai and the Gurren

**Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter 2: The Gotai and the Gurren.

Rest in peace. A common phrase to describe death. The silence of the grave, the eternal sleep, all ways of describing the serenity of the afterlife. Unfortunately, none applied the Soul Society.

It had never been a quiet place but since the defeat of the Anti-Spital, silence and peace was a mere memory. Team Dai-Gurren had seen to that.

A cold wind that brought goose bumps to the skin blew through the spacious hall that sat in the centre of the vast white city of the Seireitei. The combined captains of the Gotai 13 were gathered there before the cold glare of the young, white haired Head Captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya.

Before him stood the impressive figure of the hero of humanity, vanquisher of the Anti-Spiral, superstar of the masses and badass leader of Team Dai-Gurren, the one and only Kamina.

Toshiro was visibly agitated as he spoke. "How many times do I have to tell you? You cannot create a fourteenth division."

"Come on!" shouted the blue haired young man enthusiastically. "You know the power of Team Dai-Gurren. Together in a single squad we would be a badass and unstoppable force."

"There have been thirteen divisions since the creation of the Seireitei. I will not be the one to change that." answered Toshiro. He had participated in this debate too many times.

"Fine! Then we will for our own group, like that Ishida did, and it will rival the very strength of your divisions. Two organisations, the Gotai and the Gurren. You know it sounds epic."

"No. Ishida was a special case since he was a quincy. He trains quincy, we train shinigami." Toshiro pointed out, not for the first time. Getting a message through to Kamina was like trying to talk to a wall.

"Yeah, well I'm half hollow. That's pretty special." pressed Kamina stubbornly, indicating the small triangular bone fragments that sat between his eyes and ears. A lot had happened since his death, he thought absently.

"I don't doubt your strength, leadership or…er…your…uniqueness. You are rising through the ranks pretty fast and I have no doubt that someday soon you will become a captain. When that day comes, then you can choose whatever men and women that you want, until then, I'm afraid that you just have to be patient."

"Just who the hell do you think I am!" bellowed Kamina.

Toshiro snapped. "You've said that in every single damn conversation in the past sixty years! We know who you are. We get the point. I don't need reminding every other sentence."

"Killjoy." muttered Kamina as he turned his back on the head captain. Without waiting to be dismissed he strode out of the hall, pausing at the door just long enough to shout back in his loudest voice, "JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM!"

The room grew even colder. Hitsugaya stared icily at the doorway, forcing his face to remain calm. "My biggest nightmare is that he will inevitably become a captain. He won't listen to anyone at that point." he said tiredly. His attention turned back to his captains. "You have your orders. Dismissed."

The most powerful souls in the Seireitei filed out of the room, most struggling to keep a straight face after Kamina's performance. One hung back, wanting to address the head captain alone.

"Head Captain Hitsugaya, may I speak with you?" asked the sweet monotone voice of the captain of Squad Twelve, Nemu Kurotsuchi. Her hair had grown longer since her promotion to captain and an air of confidence and pride hung over her shoulders like the captain's robe, both of which would never have been possible before Kamina's arrival.

"Of course, Captain Kurotsuchi." replied Hitsugaya softly. His face grew serious though. He knew that Nemu was still meek when it came to authority figures, and that she would only approach him alone if something was troubling her.

"Sir, I have been getting some rather unusual readings over the last few days. Spiral energy levels have risen sharply both here and in the human world. The precautions that were set in place to prevent the Spiral Nemesis seem to have been broken." she said, bringing out a device from her robes with figures and statistics running down the screen.

The hall was silent as Hitsugaya soaked in this information. He cursed faintly under his breath. "Do you have any idea of the source?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

She shook her head slightly. "No. It appears to be a universal problem with no direct place of origin. I cannot say for sure, but at its rate of increase, the Spiral Nemesis could occur within a single year."

"That soon?" Hitsugaya gasped in shock. His mind raced to analyse every detail and create a plan for every problem and outcome. "Have your most loyal men work around the clock to try and find a root to the energy increases. Try and keep this a secret. If it is revealed too soon then it will only spread panic. Find out what you can, I will call another captain's meeting in a week to inform the others."

"Yes, Head Captain."

000

Kamina walked through the brightly coloured buildings of the Seireitei, his cape flapping and his signature orange glasses glinting, soaking up the sun and basking in the admiration of those that he passed. It had been around seventy years since his death and he had seen the city destroyed and rebuilt, contributing a fair amount to its current appearance.

The city had grown exponentially since then. The shanty town that had surrounded the main white spires of the Seireitei had been rebuilt as a part of the city, the old rusty shacks becoming beautiful cottages and lodges. The formally ragged and poor population of the Rukongai now had a far better standard of living then they ever had before.

Without conscious thought, his sandaled feet trod the familiar path toward the Thirteenth Division's barracks. As he passed by a group of young women he made sure that his blazing red cape didn't obstruct their view of the band that wrapped around his right arm displaying the symbol of Squad Thirteen Lieutenant.

Kamina had been happy in his old squad under Captain Kenpachi Zaraki. The mens' brash nature and fighting spirit suited him perfectly but there had been no chance for advancement. Kamina could never replace Ikkaku or Yachiru, he was sure of that.

So when the 13th Division captain, Elie Elric, had offered him the position of Lieutenant, he had leapt at the chance. He was now but a single step away from becoming a captain himself and once again lead men to glory.

The other members of Team Dai-Gurren that had passed into the Soul Society were distributed among the other squads, each a highly seated officer unable to find an open position as a lieutenant. Nia Tepplin, Simon's wife, had faired best, reaching third seat of Squad One. Her power came in surges though, no doubt through the remaining Anti-Spiral taint upon her spirit.

The muscular twins Jorgun and Balinbow were joint fourth seat in Squad Eleven, taking Kamina's old position. Kittan served as Squad Three's third seat under Captain Renji Abarai, while Zorthy, Iraak and Kidd were fifth, six and seventh seats respectively in Captain Ichigo Kurosaki's Fifth Division. The quiet but dependable Makken had found his place as sixth seat in Squad Six, his demeanour making him a good choice for the order loving Byakuya Kuchiki.

As Kamina passed into his division's grounds, his captain caught up with him, her long strides easily outpacing Kamina's idle stroll.

"I don't know how you do it." she commented with a smile as they drew even. Her long blonde hair hung loose down her back, her amber eyes drifted slowly across their surroundings, admiring once again what a good job she and her men had made of the barracks and garden.

"If anyone else spoke to the Head Captain like that then there would have been some real trouble. Between you and captain's Kurosaki and Zaraki, I have no idea how our chain of command is still effective." she said with mock seriousness.

Kamina yawned expressively as he spoke. "Naa. Shiro likes it and he knows it. It keeps him on his toes. Why do you think he has kept Rangiku as his lieutenant all of these years?"

"You're smarter than you let on, don't deny it." she accused. "And on a related topic, how is that important paperwork I gave you coming along?"

"Delegation!" announced Kamina proudly.

"That's what you are there for. I get the papers that I don't want to fill in, so I delegate to you. Who then is doing the work?"

"No idea." grinned Kamina. "The beauty of delegation is that it can go on near indefinitely. Last time I checked, the paperwork was being done by the sweeper."

Captain Elric frowned. "You mean that our divisions organisational and secret documents are being filled out by our cleaner?"

"Yup. Good man. This squad wouldn't function without him." replied Kamina dismissively.

Elie shrugged. "Well in that case, I don't suppose there is much to do. Go on, get out of here. Enjoy yourself while I have some well earned peace and quiet."

Kamina laughed aloud. "Well earned? I haven't seen you ever do any actual work."

The captain moved to punch him but he sidestepped out of her reach. He waved over his shoulder without stopping, leaving the compound behind and setting off for his usual out of hours haunt.

In a secluded section of the city stood a small building that looked to have seen more than it's fair share of fights. Its walls had been painted crimson and a white flag bearing the Dia-Gurren symbol hung from the tiled roof. It had once been a shady bar for the less savoury characters that had come from the old Rukongai but Kamina had requisitioned it for his own use.

He pushed open the battered door and entered into the gloom beyond. The room was a lightless corridor that Kamina passed through without pause. A second door was pushed open and he stepped into the warm glow of an open fire. Tables were arranged around it while private booths lined the wall to his left and right. Straight ahead of him was a bar with an impressive stock of alcohol.

Sat around the bar were the other members of Team Dai-Gurren in varying levels of drunkenness. Apparently it was a slow day for all of the squads. A few other people littered the room, some shinigami, others normal souls.

The old man who tended the bar saw Kamina approach and had a drink waiting by the time he seated himself between Kittan and Zorthy. Before anyone even spoke, Kamina had downed the drink.

"Still no luck?" asked Kittan between gulps. He had cut off the sleeves of his shinigami robe, leaving his scarred arms bare. His hair had grown slightly after his death, giving it a slightly more wild appearance.

Kamina shook his head. "Don't you worry though. I'll get us a squad one way or the other. Hell, together, we members of Team Dai-Gurren could bring the Gotai Thirteen to its knees. We're all at lieutenant level now and we're showing no sign of stopping. All we need is some real fights to test ourselves. This lovie-dovie peace crap is getting old. Even the hollows barely show their faces anymore."

"I guess men like us can't be happy except when we're fighting for our lives." sighed Zorthy reminiscently.

"Or in the arms of a beautiful woman." grinned Kidd wolfishly.

At those words, memories of Yoko surfaced in Kamina's mind. It had been a long time now, but she was always in his head, as vivid as when they had shared their first kiss. To get his mind off of her he turned his attention onto Kittan, who had blushed and quickly glanced over to a group of shinigami nearby. At their centre was the vivacious and voluptuous Rangiku Masamoto.

Kamina smacked him hard across the back with a laugh. "Badass Kittan, scared to approach a woman."

"Shut it!" snapped Kittan, blushing further. The other Dai-Gurren members sniggered at him. He took another large gulp of sake. "She's out of my league so what's the point."

"She's out of everyone's league. That's why you stand a good chance." reasoned Kamina. "Look, if you like her, go show her. You aint going to get anywhere sat gloomily staring at her from the distance. Be a man!"

Kittan made no attempt to move, instead grabbing a fresh drink and sipping at it moodily.

Kamina took matters into his own hands. He stood up on the bar and began to shout. "Hey Rangiku! Kittan here really likes you but is too shy to tell you. Bless his innocent little heart, eh. Wanna help him out?"

Kittan turned bright red and downed the full drink in one large gulp. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the strawberry blonde lieutenant rise, chuckling to herself. A few catcalls erupted across the room.

Reaching over, Kittan downed Kamina's drink too, then got shakily to his feet. Under the amused stares of his companions he pulled himself together and took his chances. In two large steps he was stood directly in front of her. Caught up in the moment he grabbed at her hand.

"Rangiku, while the dangerously high levels of alcohol are still coursing through my veins, I will take this chance to show you a night you won't ever forget!" he slurred.

Rangiku cocked an eyebrow, smiling seductively. Team Dai-Gurren offered up a round of applause. Kittan suddenly didn't look as confident. He stared at Kamina pleadingly but Kamina only smiled and waved.

"Oh no you don't." purred Rangiku in his ear. "You've charmed me, so now you have to at least take me out somewhere." she beamed as she dragged him out through the doors.

Kamina raised his arms in triumph. "Just call me the love doctor."

Just then, the door opened again and Nia entered. Her shinigami robes were unique in that she had replaced the white under layer with a pink one. She dreamily made her way to the bar and placed herself on a spare seat beside Makken.

"Why is Rangiku pulling Kittan down the street? It looked very strange to see him so nervous." she queried, once again missing the obvious implications. The barkeeper poured her a glass of juice, knowing her dislike of alcohol.

"He'll be fine. Rangiku isn't as playful as she seems. If she likes him too, she'll go easy on him." Kamina said, avoiding offering any real explanation to the young woman. Wanting to move the subject along, he changed topic. "How is you're mission going?"

"Toshiro won't budge. He told me that you are all bad influences on me." she explained simply. She smiled sweetly the entire time.

"Don't listen to him." said Kamina as he got to his feet and walked over to her. "We raised Simon, so you know that we are actually good influences." He finished off another sake as he slung an arm around her slender shoulders.

A burly man approached him and tapped him on the shoulder with a podgy finger. "You were flirting with my woman yesterday, bastard!"

"I am trying to have a conversation here!" grunted Kamina, whipping around and slamming his fist into the man's ugly face. He flew across the bar and smashed into the opposite wall with a crash.

The man's friends all jumped to their feet, bristling with anger. Kamina cracked his knuckles. "You guy's want to interrupt too? Ha! Just who the hell do you think I am!"

The men charged and Kamina met them head on. The other men of Team Dai-Gurren followed closely behind. Within seconds the room was in chaos, sections of tables and chairs flying in every conceivable direction.

Nia sat and watched happily, sipping on her juice and clapping in support with every blow struck by Team Dai-Gurren. This was Simon's family, her family. This was the way that Team Dai-Gurren rolled.

_000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000_

_A/N: And so the mighty Kamina returns! The chapter might have been a bit slow but it is an introduction chapter and I'm pretty happy with it. I hope you all are too._

_Now that we are into the story, I am reopening the legendary omake competition. The best review for this chapter gets to choose what I write about in a short midweek update. Anything goes as anyone who read the previous story will know so whatever idea or curiosity you have, fire away regardless. Just make sure you review about the chapter and not just say that you want me to do so and so. _

_All main chapters will be released on Fridays while Omakes will be Wednesday so you can expect two updates a week. This is British time though so adjust accordingly._

_So once again, please review, favourite or whatever. All comments/criticisms/questions are welcome. Any questions will be answered ASAP so don't fear to ask. A big thank you for all of you that reviewed, subscribed or favourited last chapter. Thanks for reading._

_-FWF._


	3. 3 Like Hell I'll let it happen!

**TTGL: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter Three: Like hell I'll let it happen!

Kamina awoke from a pleasant dream by the sharp tapping of knuckle on wood. One day he would take the time to pad his door with foam, he mused to himself as he dragged his body out of bed. Yawning loudly he opened the door. A shinigami messenger stood opposite him, looking nervous at being confronted by an annoyed Kamina.

"M-message for you, sir." he stuttered helplessly. "Captain Elric wants you at a m-meeting in ten m-minutes."

"Does she now." muttered Kamina. He yawned again, grabbing his cape from the door. As soon as the fabric touched him he seemed to fill with energy, his face brightening up. "Early morning meeting means action."

He grabbed a chicken leg off of his desk then wasted no time in heading to the captain's office, gnawing on the day old meat as he went. Once at the door he entered without knocking, striding into the room like he owned it.

"Full of manners as always." commented Captain Elric sarcastically. "We've been called to a meeting with the Head Captain. He says that its urgent." she continued, her voice remaining neutral, but her eyes hardening.

"Any ideas what its about?" asked Kamina as they made their way to the meeting hall. He toyed with his zanpakuto as he walked, aching for a good fight. He hadn't had the chance to even use the weapon in real combat for over a year now.

"None. We haven't been called to battle stations so it isn't an immediate threat. I haven't heard any rumours of trouble either though. You haven't heard anything then?"

Kamina laughed. "If I'd heard of anything then I would already be out there kicking ass."

"Well, we'll find out soon enough." Elie stated, the bulky doors of the hall now in view. The guards pulled it open wordlessly, allowing them access.

The other captains and lieutenants were all ready present, lined up at both sides of the long wall, Hitsugaya stood at their centre at the far side. Kamina nodded to those that he most respected. Ichigo, Renji and Kenpachi all returned the gesture. Nemu smiled over at him while most of the others remained motionless, not wanting to attract Hitsugaya's attention.

The two officers took their place in the lines then waited for the white haired captain to begin. Rather than addressing them though, Hitsugaya nodded towards Nemu. She stepped forward and as she moved, a holographic display in the centre of the room activated, bright swirling colours and numbers flashing across the walls, floor and roof.

"My routine checks of spiral energy readings have discovered a rise in universal energy levels." she began, straight to the point. "Over the past week I have continued to monitor activity closely and the energy is rising with dangerous speed. At its current rate of increase, I have predicted the emergence of the Spiral Nemesis in eleven months time."

There was a collective gasp from the shinigami. None had expected this. Panic showed on several of the lieutenant's faces while the captains had become stony faced and ashen skinned. Kamina ground his teeth silently, his anger rising at the revelation. Simon had to be involved somehow, he knew.

Nemu continued, directing her audience's attention to the hologram. It displayed a vast map of the Soul Society that was flanked by graphs. "My team and I have searched for a source of the power but have found nothing definite. As a precaution, I have highlighted some targets within the Soul Society that produce high levels of spiral energy but outside of this, there is little that we can do as of yet."

Hitsugaya stood, speaking in a slow voice laden with gravity. "The human world is out of our jurisdiction. We must do everything possible to cut down levels within our own lands though. These targets will be removed. I must stress though that we are the highest output of spiral energy. For this reason I am placing a ban on unnecessary use of power. We must restrain ourselves if we hope to prevent disaster. And if the Spiral Nemesis is created, then we must be ready for it."

"Like hell I'll let it happen!" roared Kamina as he stamped forward. "My bro is out there in the human world doing everything he can to stop the Spiral Nemesis. Team Dai-Gurren is out there fighting against it! Just who the hell does the Spiral Nemesis think we are! While I still draw breath, It'll never happen!"

Hitsugaya eyed him wearily. It was his job as head captain to break the news to him. "Simon has vanished."

Kamina halted all movement, his energy dissipating instantly. "What are you talking about? Simon can't just disappear."

The head captain locked eyes with Kamina. "We received a sudden spike in his power several days ago, then it dropped completely. He hasn't died but he has completely fallen from our radar."

"How is that possible?" Kamina snapped, clenching his fist uselessly. "Simon…"

Hitsugaya walked forward to stand beside Kamina. "We don't know what is happening yet. All we do know is that this shows that we cannot rely on the humans to solve the problem. We need to prepare and it needs to happen fast."

He signalled to Nemu and she began to control the hologram with quick hand movements. Hitsugaya spoke, explaining the images that phased into life behind him.

"There are fifteen targets that are deemed to be in danger of rapid spiral evolution. Their powers are still below that of captains but has been shown to be growing at a steady rate. Between our thirteen divisions and our allies, they will be short work for us. Just remember, keep your power to the bare minimum. Your orders will be delivered to your divisions, then you are to act with all due haste. Dismissed."

Kamina and Elie made their way back to their barracks in silence. When they were nearly there, the captain tried to gauge Kamina's feelings. "How are you?" she asked tentatively. She hadn't known him to be this quiet, ever. He had been really close to the man named Simon, breaking several laws of physics to help him out during the battle with the Anti-Spirals. To not know what had happened to him must have been painful for Kamina to bear.

She was surprised when he faced her grinning like a maniac. "Simon can look after himself. If he can't then he'll get stronger until he can." placing his shades upon his face he rolled his shoulders, stretching out his muscles. "And I'll do the same. It's been too long since I was in a real battle."

They re-entered the Thirteenth Division's compound and made straight for the captain's office. Everything seemed so bright and cheery, the men yet to be told of the impending crisis. People smiled and waved as they passed, the gesture returned by the captain to cover up any suspicion.

Once inside the door was shut firmly behind them. The room had once been spacious but all manner of books and documents reduced the available room to a single path to Elie's cluttered desk. Laid atop the pile was a large, important looking folder that hadn't been there before. In large red block letters it stated _Confidential_.

Kamina picked it up but instantly dropped it as an electric jolt pulsed through his body.

"Captain's hands only." laughed Elie. "Didn't you listen in the academy? Confidential documents only open to those that they are addressed to."

Glaring with injured pride, Kamina watched as she opened the file. She cleared her desk by sweeping the other papers onto the floor. Carefully she placed the various documents across its surface so that Kamina could see them.

"Hmm. Looks like they finally decided to deal with old Yjorvi." commented the captain.

"Old who?" asked Kamina. He didn't understand most of what was in front of him but he could piece together that there was a challenge coming.

"Yjorvi Kakaru." answered Elie, holding up a picture of him. "He was once a seated shinigami within the Twelfth Division but he left after his research kept being restricted. He was on the team that created the original design for the creatures that you know as Beast men. After it was prohibited here, Mayuri passed the knowledge onto Lordgenome so that it would be continued."

"Generic evil Russian scientist, seriously? So why is he a spiral threat? doesn't sound like one to me." grunted Kamina, eying the frail old man depicted in the picture critically.

"He was working on the ability to cap spiritual energy but more and more he began to look for ways to unlock it. He theorised that he could double a shinigami's power output by removing the barriers that kept the powers balanced." Elie said. She leafed through the documents, analysing every detail with a practiced ease.

"Seems he's created a new lab underneath one of the larger towns. Beastmen guards and plenty of traps." she read. "Clever. By building under a town, we can't go in all guns blazing. A strike force sounds like the best option."

"Who needs a strike force. Just send me in." boasted Kamina. "He won't know what hit him."

Elie shook her head. "No. Our target is Yjorvi. If he escapes then we have failed. The second his defences are attacked he will be off. We can't botch this. I'll go too. Me, you and eight others aught to do the job."

"Sounds like a plan." grinned Kamina.

"Ah." groaned Elie suddenly. She motioned to her shelve where a box sat with the same confidential mark as the envolope. She opened it up to reveal a collection of bulky wristbands. A note rested over them.

_Spiral Limiters - to be worn by all high level shinigami by order of Head Captain Hitsugaya. Only to be removed in life or death emergencies. Breach of this policy will result in imprisonment for the safety of all._

"Damn." the captain muttered. "Looks like the threat is all too real for Hitsugaya to resort to this. I had hoped we would have had more time."

Kamina said nothing but reluctantly slipped the wristband over his hand. Instantly he felt his power drain away, making his body feel tense, as though the energy was trying to break free.

"This is just stupid. Who would actively try to make themselves weaker? We should be getting stronger so we can beat the Spiral Nemesis!"

"You know that wouldn't work." sighed the captain, equally frustrated with the situation. "It's thinking like that that will bring it about, however much we may hate it."

Kamina made a dissatisfied noise. "Yeah, I know, I know. Doesn't mean that I have to like it though. It goes against everything that a man is."

"It is what it is." remarked Elie decisively. "You're not scared that you can't win without your powers, are you?" she chided.

"Of course not! Just who the hell do you think I am! I don't need crazy spiral powers. I defeated Aizen in a fistfight so some mad scientist and his lackeys aren't gonna stop me!" Kamina boomed. "Hell, I'll go in there unarmed and still kick their ass. That's the way Team Dai-Gurren rolls!"

"Just get yourself ready. We leave at first light in the morning."

000

The night dragged on, taking an eternity to pass. Kamina's body yearned for a fight making stillness near impossible for him. He got what sleep he could, which was more than many of the other shinigami who were suffering from worries of the coming battle. Many of the new shinigami had never even witnessed a battle, not that any of them had been chosen to go along.

As the first fine rays of the sun began to drift through the darkness, the chosen members of Squad Thirteen gathered outside of their complex, equipped and ready for battle. Their destination was a full day's march away through thin forest pathways. Despite the town's relative closeness to the Seireitei, it was remote and self sufficient, having little connection with the other nearby settlements.

Back in the old days, just getting to the town would have been an adventure with hollows and bandits roaming the Soul Society almost freely. After the Anti-Spiral's defeat, Hitsugaya had finally managed to clamp down on crime and now, enemies of order were near extinct.

"Is this really going to change anything?" asked one of the sharper shinigami. "I mean, most of the targets are nothing special. Squad two has been hired to assassinate most of them. We're using the most force but even that is just to get to him and not to beat him. These guys are just too weak to make any difference."

Kamina's blade flashed out, cutting a tree so that its trunk fell across the path. He stood upon it, facing the others. "Listen up, bozos! Change is something that can only be made by constantly moving forward. Its not the actions that are important but the will and the determination. As long as we act then change will come one way or the other. We fight, we win, we move onwards. That's the way Team Dai-Gurren rolls! Now are you all with me?"

"Yeah!" roared the group with renewed vigour. Kamina had that effect on people.

"Right then. To battle!" Kamina grinned. He stabbed his zanpakuto into the tree trunk which exploded into a hail of flaming splinters. The shinigami cheered more at the display. He was a showman through and through.

The men sped up while Kamina dropped back to walk beside his captain. "Your pretty good at deceiving people." Elie said quietly. Kamina glanced sideways at her but made no other move.

"It isn't deception. It's the truth of humanity, Spiral Nemesis or not. I lived my life making people believe. Even if the words are meaningless, that belief is pure and as true as anything can be." Kamina stated with certainty.

"That's certainly one way to look at it." shrugged Elie.

As the day began to fade, Elie called the group to a stop. The village was close now, visible from the tree tops. Instead of announcing their presence and searching for the scientist in the dark, they made camp and planned to strike at dawn.

In the morning, Elie led them into the village that was typical of the Soul Society. It looked like a traditional Japanese village and was filled with hard working souls. Birds chirped peacefully in the trees and flowers released a sweat fragrance into the air. Despite all of this there was a certain tenseness that permeated throughout the area.

The workers eyed them wearily as the shinigami passed. If it hadn't been for the intel that Squad Two had gained then finding a way underground would have been next to impossible. Luckily the entrance had already been pinpointed so activity within the village was kept to a minimum.

An outdoor forge sat on the far side near the outskirts of the village. The location was clear but Elie ordered her men to secure the area anyway. Using his sword, Kamina tapped at the stones until one sounded hollow. Placing his sandaled foot upon it he pushed. The stone moved, triggering a mechanism that slid the forge backward to reveal a hidden passage.

Elie approached the hidden stairs. "From here on in we have no idea what to expect. Watch your step and keep your eyes open. Yjorvi might not be powerful but his traps could easily kill you before you even realise it. Now lets do this."

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_A/N: Another slow chapter but never fear! The next few chapters are gonna be action packed, story filled bundles of awesomeness. Hope you all enjoyed despite the uneventful and slow pace of this chapter._

_Winner of the first omake is 'That Guy'. As an long time reader, you know how this works. Send me what you want to see for an Omake and it will hopefully be up on Wednesday._

_P.S. 'That Guy' asked if anyone guessed the parody band's real name from the last omake in So this is the Heavens. No, nobody even guessed to my knowledge. Avocado Dusk - a three man rock band. Any ideas? Answer next chapter._

_Also, thinking of making a new Gurren Lagann AMV to the FooFighter song My Hero. Should I go ahead with production? If you haven't already, check out my first AMV. __.com/watch?v=Xk-wjWTRwks_

_- FWF_


	4. Omake I

**TTGL: Brothers to the End.**

Omake Issue 1: Another Day.

_A/N: Welcome one and all to the first omake of this story. This weeks winner was 'That Guy' so this is dedicated to him. Its far larger than I intended so don't get used to the bumper size. _

_P.S. In answer to 'That Guy' question, Avocado Dusk is a pseudonym for my favourite band: Green Day. Avocados are green and dusk is a time if day. _

_Hope you all enjoy._

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"Whadda ya mean there's no more sake?" snorted Kittan to the bartender through an alcohol fuelled haze. "This is a bar, alcohol just comes from those taps. How do taps run out?"

The bartender sighed and tried to explain to the drunken man. "You and your friends drink like fish in water. Beer runs out very fast. We can only store so much."

Kittan grabbed the lever that poured the alcohol and a look of strain came to his face. He grunted with effort despite the fact that he wasn't moving.

"Hey Kittan, what the hell you playin' at?" hiccupped Kidd.

"Well, if fighting spirit can fuel a universe sized mecha then surely it can get a beer tap to work." Kittan reasoned.

"You sir, are a genius." complimented Zorthy.

"Yeah! Fighting spirit solve all problems!" added the twins loudly.

Kidd, Iraak, Zorthy and the twins all crowded around Kittan, mirroring his look of stain as they added their efforts to his. The bartender and Makken shared a look with each other and shrugged dismissively.

The door to the bar opened and a tall man with spiky ginger hair entered. Captain Ichigo Kurosaki approached the bar, frowning at the chaos that was brewing around it.

"Zorthy, Iraak, Kid, get your asses into gear." he ordered briskly, snapping them back to reality. "As highly seated officers in my division I would have expected more from you three. I've been in this bar for a full minute now and not one of you have bought me a drink." he smirked.

Zorthy and Iraak quickly turned to Kidd, who seeing no way out, relented and went to buy another drink. A sharp look from the bar tender reminded him that there were none left.

"Err, captain. They're all out."

Ichigo's frown deepened. "Well that won't do. Hmm. I think that Renji's got a good stash of sake. It's poker night too." mused the captain. "Hey Kittan, you ready to pay your captain a visit?"

"Nah. 'Fraid I can't. I'm meeting up with Rangiku. This was just a little drink to bolster my courage, you know." said Kittan as he staggered towards the door.

"That still going strong then?" asked Ichigo as he and the others left the bar to head to the Third Division barracks.

"Yeah. The great lug hasn't messed it up yet." grunted Zorthy as he breathed out a cloud of smoke. "He still can't believe his luck. For all his bluster, he still acts like a kid when faced with a woman."

Kidd burst out laughing. "Like you can talk. I haven't seen you with a woman for ages."

Zorthy rolled his cigarette agitatedly around his mouth. "Some of us like to do things properly. You've gotta treat the ladies right, you know, romance them. Not like you."

"What's that?" growled Kidd angrily. "I don't need to waste time making them like me. They flock to me!"

"That why I saw you singing up to a certain young lady the other day, dressed in your best." added Iraak with a sly smile. Kidd turned bright red and floundered impudently with his words.

Makken suddenly stopped. He always fell into the background but the group was instantly alerted by his action. "Trouble." he stated bluntly, always cutting straight to the point.

The others fell silent and now could hear the commotion too. Raised voices shouted angrily and there were a series of loud crashes. As one the shinigami changed course and headed off towards the ruckus. It was close by and only took a few turns to reach the scene of chaos.

Ten men in gaudy red clothes accosted a broad shouldered man clad in green. A large boar stood nearby, a pink ribbon that didn't suit the animal was tied atop its head.

"Damn you, Shiba!" seethed one of the men in red. "This is your last day as top gang leader in these parts! From now on, I, Gakai Ishiburo, will be top dog."

"Ha!" snorted the green garbed man. "It'll take more than some little whelp like you to defeat the great Ganju Shiba!"

Ichigo sighed and turned away. "Its only him. Damned idiot."

"Shouldn't we help him?" asked Kidd.

"Leave him. Ganju is too much of a slippery bastard to get cornered."

Reluctantly, the members of Team Dai-Gurren stood back and watched. The men in red stomped threateningly towards Ganju. He didn't move, simply waiting as they drew close. The red clad gangers drew their swords and Ganju struck. He wasn't aiming at any of their number though. His muscled fist hit the ground, turning the hard dirt into a soft sand in an instant. The ten men fell into it, sinking up to their ugly heads.

Ganju laughed in triumph. "The Rukongai is mine. I am the shinigami representative round here so I have complete authority."

It was at this point that Ganju noticed the group of shinigami watching him. He waved at them. "Hey! Ichigo! You here for that rematch?"

"Me punching you through a wall is not a draw." commented Ichigo wearily, as though he had pointed this out numerous times before.

"It was a cheap shot and you know it!"

Ichigo ignored him. "You managing to keep things in check here?"

"Of course I am. I've been the unofficial leader of these parts since before you were born. I don't need any shinigami seal of approval to protect my people." boasted Ganju proudly. He walked toward the group, using the gang members' heads as stepping stones.

"Lemme guess." he continued. "You're heading over to old pineapple head for a free drink?"

"Yeah!" shouted Jorgun and Balinbow happily. "You come too?" asked Balinbow, sensing a fellow meathead.

"Forget that. You lot want to head on to _The Golden Sparrow_."

"Isn't that where Kittan is?" questioned Zorthy, cocking an eyebrow. "Why should we head there?"

"Well, turns out that the head captain was there too." beamed Ganju. The others stared at him expectantly, sensing a good story. "Him and a few of his high seated officers had come for a quiet meal, your little princess being one of them. The head captain left to use the bathroom. Bad mistake. Rangiku managed to convince Nia to have some sake instead of juice."

The members of Team Dai-Gurren froze. Vivid memories that they had tried to erase returned to their minds. Ichigo stared at them in confusion.

"What's so bad about that?"

Kidd shuddered. "We have to save Kittan."

They ran through the streets until the classy building of _The Golden Sparrow_ came into view. It was already on fire and missing a wall by the time they had skidded to a halt next to its front doors. Jorgun broke them open and they entered into the heart of destruction.

The restaurant was trashed completely and its patrons cowered around the edges of the building or fled through the gaping hole that had replaced a large section of wall. Fires blazed in small spots that were dotted around the room.

Nia stood at the centre of the room, swaying slightly. Her usually pale face was flushed and her shinigami robes looked dishelmed. Her limbs and eyes looked droopy.

Hitsugata stood near by, a look of complete astonishment slapped across his face. Rangiku was gradually slinking away from him, trying to look innocent with Kittan in tow. Kittan looked scared for his life.

"My juice tastes funny." Nia hiccupped loudly. "I feel spinny…" she slurred.

"Damn." moaned Kidd. "Where's Kamina when you need him?" he turned his head. "Why is the waiter embedded in that wall?"

Nia staggered up to the group. "Mister waiter did a good job so I hi-fived him. He then flew away into that wall. He must have been very happy. Then a nasty table tried to trip me up so I told it off." she beamed, pointing up at the roof. Shards of wood were somehow sticking out of it.

"Bagsy not me!" chorused five of the six remaining members of Team Dai-Gurren. Makken looked up at them with injustice burning in his eyes. He hated the bagsy rule.

After a brief moment of meditation, the small man advanced toward Nia. He held out his hand for her to take so she could be dragged to safety. She grabbed his hand and squeezed, shaking his arm in the most violent handshake ever recorded.

"Hello mister Makken! I am so happy to see you!" she giggled as she innocently cracked his bones.

"What's going on?" growled Hitsugaya, who had just joined the group.

Zorthy cleared his throat. "You see, Nia can't hold her alcohol. it's a well known fact that cute, innocent people don't react well to it. We found this out the hard way. Nia is a master of the drunken fist style."

"Err…" started the head captain uncertainly.

"Kidd continued where is brother had stopped. "The only way to stop her is to defeat her in a fight or get her so drunk that she passes out. We sure as hell aint trying to beat her, isn't that right, Jorgun, Balinbow?"

The hulking twins were sat in a corner crying. "Last time she got like this, she threw those two out of a window."

They all turned back to Nia, who was currently chewing on a chair leg. "This sausage is too chewy. Where is the chef?" she proclaimed. A man in a chef's hat ran away screaming.

"How are we suppose to get her to drink more?" asked Hitsugaya the a collective shrug from the others.

At that moment, Rangiku returned. "Nia, do you know what all men like"

Nia cocked her head, nearly falling over as she lost her balance.

"These." the lieutenant said, indicating her cleavage. They captivate men. Drink loads of your juice and yours will grow too." she blatantly lied.

"And then Simon will like me even more? Like super duper?" she asked. Rangiku nodded. "Right, then I will drink all of the juice so Simon can be happy!" she declared happily before chugging a discarded pint. She swayed dangerously on the spot. Her eyes crossed for a moment then fell to the floor with a loud thud.

"Well, that solves that. No harm done so no need for blame." chirped Rangiku with a cheeky smirk. She made to leave quickly but a firm hand grabbed her shoulder. A scowling Hitsugaya was on the other end of it.

"Rangiku." he growled, ice particles forming in the air around him. She laughed nervously. "If she becomes traumatised in any way, I'm placing the blame on your shoulders. Giving her alcohol is bad enough, but telling her something lewd like that…" he broke off, unable to find words to describe it.

Sensing trouble, Kittan acted fast. "Well, we'd better take her home. Enjoy the rest of the night." he said, quickly hoisting Nia into his arms and making for the door.

"Traitor!" called Rangiku at his back.

The other members of Team Dai-Gurren left with him.

"Well, what now?" asked Zorthy.

"Renji's?" offered Ichigo.

"Renji's." agreed the group as one.


	5. 4 It is time to destroy the universe

**TTGL: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter Four: It is time to destroy the universe.

The light was blinding, confusing the senses and seared into the eyes and brain. A loud humming like a hive of wasps filled the room, messing up the remaining senses. Even with closed eyes, the world retained its dazzling whiteness.

Simon had awoken to this, unable to move even a muscle and feeling like he hadn't slept in weeks. A numbness coated his skin, punctured by the occasional tingle or lance of pain. His memories were groggy and struggled to fit itself together, leaving a muddle of thoughts and experiences drifting through his head.

There was a sound of a door opening then the gentle thuds of footsteps. Simon glared at the vague figure that entered into his view. The person looked indistinct, a swirl of bubbling red energy that burned across its body like a flame. As it stepped closer, its features cleared and came into focus, revealing a young man beneath the chaotic energy.

The man stood opposite Simon with a large smile on his face. "Ah, Simon. Glad to see that you're finally awake."

"Where am I?" growled Simon, trying hard to sound defiant through his slurred words.

"You mean you don't remember?" laughed the man mockingly. "Well, after we kicked your ass, you were brought back to our base. That was about a week ago now. Since then you've been helping us to change the world."

"Helping you! What do you… I would never help you!" Simon roared, straining to smack the man with all of his might. It was no use though.

"Ha ha! Yep, you've been a real help. You see, we've had you hooked up to this machine the entire time that you've been here." the Meta-Spiral explained, tapping a metal case that surrounded Simon's body like a massive coffin. "Even while you're unconscious, your body has been leaking Spiral energy. We've been collecting that energy, storing in and distributing it across the galaxy to ready life for the Spiral Nemesis."

"Bastard!" howled Simon. He roared as he mustered all of his power to break free of the machine. Green energy pulsed around him.

"Beautiful." chuckled the Meta-Spiral. "And here I was, thinking that it would be so much harder to get you to comply with our wishes. You are here because out of all the beings in the universe, you are the most powerful, even if that power has grown rusty in your years of inactivity. We will harness that power to create the Spiral Blessing."

Simon calmed himself, dropping his power levels as low as he could manage. "Spiral Blessing?"

"It is our name for the so called Spiral Nemesis. Far more fitting a name for something so glorious, don't you think?"

Simon spoke in a whisper that promised death. "You will never succeed. I won't let it happen."

The Meta-Spiral ignored him. "There is a problem though. We cannot create the Blessing even with your power. You need to be stronger, but we cannot make you stronger from here. We need you to fight once again."

"Forget it. I gave up fighting before you was even born." sneered Simon.

The Meta-Spiral cackled, his voice echoing around the room, making it sound like an army laughed manically at the words of defiance. "You will have no choice in the matter. You are already halfway there."

Simon's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

A sharp sound pierced the air as the Meta-Spiral clicked his fingers. The door once again slid open and another Meta walked in. This one was a young woman with long flowing green hair. She was surrounded by a harsh yellow light that stung the eyes when looked at. In her arms was a wrapped up object.

She approached Simon at a brisk walk then flung off the sheet that hid whatever it was that she carried. As the cloth hit the ground, Simon caught a reflection of himself. In the girl's hands was a large mirror that glimmered in the white lights.

A strangled choke escaped Simon's lips. Through wide eyes he stared in startled horror at the reflection that opposed him. An all too familiar yet almost forgotten face stared deep into his eyes. The implications rapidly dawned on him. Looking back at him was a twenty five year old Simon.

"W-How…what have you done?"

Both Meta-Spirals offered a lopsided grin. "Do you like what we've done?" asked the male. "By looping your Spiral energy back into your body we were able to regenerate the ravages of old age. Considering that you could have kept your body young yourself, we knew that it could be done."

"Yeah. Spiral King Lordgenome had lived for a thousand years and still retained the body of a middle aged man." chipped in the woman. "You really let yourself go."

Simon was speechless. His entire world was falling apart beneath his feet. He ran his tongue across his lips and could feel no wrinkles. It was all real. He had been made young again.

"With that youthful body, you will be at you prime for a universal campaign. None will be able to stand against you. Now, the only remaining step is to convert you mind to our cause."

"You bastards! Who the hell do you think I am! I am Simon the Digger and you will never choose my path for me! I will burn you all to ashes!" howled Simon. Despite his anger he took care not to release any power.

"We will enjoy putting that to the test." laughed the male Meta. He clicked his fingers again and two more Meta-Spirals entered, carrying between them some kind of bulky helmet.

The two men lifted the helmet above Simon's head. The leading Meta leaned in close and whispered into his ear. "This might sting a little bit. Try thinking along the lines of sledgehammer to the groin, taser to the tongue and bamboo to the fingernails. Enjoy."

The woman slid close to the machine that encased Simon and caressed it. Softly she breathed, "Compliance is far better. After all, we have your pigmole friend. You wouldn't want him to get hurt now would you? Keep that in mind."

"What have you done with Boota! If you hurt him I will kill you all!" Simon raged. Nearly everyone he had ever loved had been taken away from him already. Boota had been with him from the start.

Simon roared and fought, energy blazing from him with power to shred metal. Bolts in the machine around him began to rattle and the metal plates bulged. The leading Meta signalled for the helmet to be lowered and the two men complied, placing it over Simon's head. The female Meta flicked a lever and Simon's roars changed into screams of agony. His entire body convulsed repeatedly then became limp.

"It is time to destroy the universe, Simon." goaded the woman.

As one, the Meta-Spirals turned their backs on Simon and left the room. The leader glanced back before exiting. "Soon. Our plan is nearly in fruition. Simon will set the universe alight, then, from the flames of war a new universe will rise from the ashes. We are so close. Soon, nobody will be able to stop us.

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_A/N: I'm quiet enjoying these Simon chapters, it makes a nice change of pace in my writing. Hope you all enjoy them too as they'll be quite a few before the end._

_This weeks omake winner is… 'Shade the Bat'. You know the drill - ha ha ha, I made a drill joke…_

_Please Review the chapter, it really helps motivate me and can help me improve. Come on people, it's a minute of your time for a week of mine, not a bad trade off. Either way, hope you've enjoyed and I'll see you all next chapter._

_-FWF_


	6. Omake II

**TTGL: Brothers to the End**

Okake Issue 2: Who ya gonna call?

_A/N: Sorry about this chapter as it was very rushed. The winner didn't get back to me so I had to make it up in the space of an hour. Hope it still suits all of your humour needs. I'm not happy with it but it's better than nothing._

_P.S. Kudos to Haru Takami. You made my day with your review. A truly pleasant ten minutes of laughing my ass off. Your self introductions of worthy of Lord Kamina himself. Glad to have you back._

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As stated by the great narrator in the sky, the past few decades in the Soul Society have been full of peace. Boring, boring peace… And we all know that Team Dai-Gurren don't like to be bored. In their eternal quest for entertainment and badassery, a truly worthy pastime was created, and to this day remains a favourite.

Haunting Rossiu.

Being invisible while in the Human World has its advantages, especially to someone with a creative mind like our very own Kamina. During a routine mission in the Human World many years ago, Kamina became distracted by a speech that the President of the Universe was giving to a mass crowd. Bored with his current task, the blue haired brawler had made his way up onto the stage, unseen by all.

Rossiu, unaware of his old companion, continues his well planned speech about the intergalactic economy. Kamina is allergic to both politics and bullshit so decides to take his medication: mayhem.

Before the eyes of half the universe, their president, the proud and stoic Rossiu Adai, had his trousers pulled around his ankles, presenting all to the cosmos. Thus was Rossiu haunting born.

Placing laxatives in his coffee, Viagra in his sandwiches, removing chairs from his descending form and polishing his forehead during sleep were staple occupations for the Dai-Gurren gang.

Not that Kamina singled out Rossiu. The heroic former leader of humanity spent many an hour in the hot springs and female changing rooms…

But that is a different story. Today we are focussed upon the unfortunate Rossiu. Being the smart and practical man that he is, all of these events have not passed him by as mere coincidences. Scouring the universe, he has hired the most trained and experienced team of paranormal exterminators.

"The Ghostbusters? Seriously?" snorted Kamina on his next visit to Earth. He entered the presidential suite to be confronted by four men in greyish overalls wielding what appeared to be vacuum cleaners.

"Don't you worry, Mr President. We'll sort out your paranormal problem. Your ghost will be toast and you'll feel no more terror for ever." announced the largest of the four men in a voice that suggested an American salesman.

Kamina prodded him in the back and the man whipped around, his vacuum at the ready.

The man with glasses stared fixedly at a small device in his hand. "Guy's, the spectrometer going crazy. He's right here. Put your ecto-goggles on quick, we can't make a mistake with this one."

"Right!" answered the other Ghostbusters with varying degrees of enthusiasm as they placed strange looking goggles over their eyes. In Kamina's eyes they looked like special operative rejects.

Now all of the men focussed in on Kamina. They cocked their heads at him.

"He doesn't look that impressive." one muttered. The remark was instantly followed by Kamina's foot to his face.

As that man reared back the coloured man aimed his weapon and fired. Kamina picked at his ear as the reddish lightning bounced off of him and shattered a nearby lamb. "Vacuum lasers. Who thought that that would work?"

A slow clapping filled the room. Rossiu stepped up to the Ghostbusters' side, the same goggles that the others wore covering his craggy face.

"So, Kamina. We meet again." Rossiu said emotionlessly, as though speaking with a long dead friend was just another day in the office. "Still as ignorant and reckless as ever I see."

"You look more like that old gunman in your village every time I see you, forehead boy." Kamina countered.

"I had a feeling that you might have been involved. After all rational thoughts were through, you are the only explanation ever left. Damn Gurren Lagann logic. With this information though, I came prepared. I knew that the Ghostbusters, no matter how 'epic' they were, would be no match for you. Every ghost hunter in the universe is on your trail."

He pressed a button and the door opened. Into the room stepped Scrooby Doo, Danny Phantom, Ghost Rider, Pacman and all manner of ghost hunters. Kamina scoffed at the collection.

"Rossiu, who the hell do you think I am? I am no simple ghost. I am the mighty lord Kamina! Giga cero break!"

He fired a cero that formed in the air as a giant drill that tore up the room, sending the assembled crowd flying into the air to twinkle like tiny stars.

"See. You've underestimated me again." commented Kamina smugly. "Even in death I can't be defea-"

He crumpled to the floor. Nia stood behind him with a plant pot, smiling serenely.

"Thank you, Nia." Rossiu greeted. "I'm glad you received my summons."

Nia slung Kamina over her shoulder. "You are most welcome, President Rossiu sir. Head Captain Hitsugaya is very angry with big bro Kamina. He ordered me to bring him back 'using any force necessary.' He highly recommended blunt objects under the premise that they wouldn't damage Kamina's head."

She turned serious for a moment. "Have you heard anything from Simon yet?"

"Rossiu shook his head gravely. "No. I'm sorry."

The young woman tried to force a smile. "Well, I'd better take big bro back to captain Shiro chan. Good luck with the universe." she said as a door materialised beside here. She passed through it to enter back into the Soul Society, smacking Kamina's head on the doorframe as she stepped through.


	7. 5 Lose yourself to the power

**TTGL: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter 5: Lose yourself to the power.

Kamina clicked his tongue and listened as the sound echoed through the darkness. He picked his way easily through the unlit tunnels, his night sight brilliant due to his pit upbringing and further advanced by his hollow abilities. By listening to the clicks he could tell if there were any objects around corners, picking out any slight abnormalities in the echoes with his hyper sensitive hearing.

"Anything?" asked Captain Elric who walked confidently just behind Kamina. She ran a gloved hand across the left side wall, feeling for any breaks in the roughly hewn rock.

"Nothing." grunted Kamina. "But that just means that there is something. Only dangerous places feel this undangerous."

"Yeah. I can feel it too. A tenseness in the air. An odd feeling in the stone." Elie observed quietly.

A small, almost inaudible clicking sound broke the suspicious silence. As one, the group faced forward and gulped. A slow rumbling began in the distance and grew rapidly louder until the earth shook and the rumbling filled the world. Torches suddenly blazed into existence, lighting the path of a gigantic boulder as it rolled through the tunnel.

"Son of a-"

"Run!" screamed Elie to the general agreement of the others.

While the others turned to flee, Kamina snorted and dug in his feet. "Oh come on! A boulder? How unoriginal could this guy be. This is the oldest cliché in the book." he snapped.

The rock hurtled toward him, taking up the entire tunnel. Kamina held out his right arm and the boulder smashed into his palm. It continued to role on the spot for several seconds then ground to a halt. Kamina clenched his fist and the rock shattered.

"Ha! It will take more than an oversized pebble to stop the mighty Kamina!"

As if on cue, a forest of metal spikes thrust out of the wall. The shinigami avoided them by striking awkward poses, jutting their limbs through the tangle of life threatening metal.

"God damn it, Kamina! You just had to taunt the booby traps!" hissed Elie through pursed lips.

There was another ominous click followed by an immediate increase in temperature. A blazing light flared up behind them, filling the tunnel with a wall of flame.

Captain Elric cursed and clapped her hands before touching the metal spikes around her that swiftly withdrew themselves back into the wall. Now free from the trap, the shinigami ran for their lives as a storm of flame closed in on them. In their haste, dozens of traps were triggered causing arrows to shoot at them, objects fall on them and all manner of nets, pits and blades sought to end them.

Elie slammed her fist into the ground, causing a ripple of energy to run along its surface. The walls and ceiling cracked and crumbled, sealing the passage behind them. Without the fireball on their heels, the group was able to regroup and rest.

"This guy is crazy." fumed one of the shinigami through panting breaths. "The bastard has just ensured that he will suffer."

"We have to get to him first." said Elie firmly. She analysed their surroundings carefully. "It can't be much further. We'd have noticed if he was building a labyrinth."

Kamina held up a hand for silence. "There are people ahead; a group of them about two hundred yards away."

Elie nodded. "Right, we don't know what to expect so we go slowly and don't make a move until we know exactly-"

"Forget that." scoffed Kamina as he strode forward. "Real men fight face to face and announce their presence loud and proud!" He broke into a run, dodging a barrage of lasers that shot out around him. His speed increased until it was super human and didn't waste time by slowing down when he arrived at a wall.

Kamina smashed straight through the rock and broke into a new chamber that was dimly lit with glowing tubes. He glanced around but the room was empty of people. Empty of everything.

"What the hell?" questioned Kamina. He could have sworn that there had been people in here. A small ticking sound answered him. "Ah crap."

The room exploded in a fiery blaze of destruction. Kamina had just enough time to brace himself before he wax hit. His hierro protected him from most of the damage. Being half hollow definitely had its advantages.

He wasn't safe though. Chains fired at him, wrapping tightly around his limbs and locking him in place. The ground below him rose up at high speed, smashing him into the roof before lowering slightly so that Kamina was on a platform high above the floor. A cage of hardened metal formed around him that glowed with energy.

"Damn it." he swore as he strained against the chains. Even with his super strength, they barely budged.

Captain Elric and the other members of Squad Thirteen rushed in through the smoke and debris, their weapons drawn.

"Stay back!" roared Kamina, but it was too late. Thick metal walls rose out from the ground around the outskirts of the room, trapping the occupants inside. The room fell deathly silent as everyone one waited with baited breath for any further signs of trouble. They didn't have to wait long.

A large screen lowered from the roof and came to life with a flash of light. The image of a scrawny man with messy white hair appeared, the face evidently belonging to Yjorvi. He smiled down at them with a crazed smirk.

"Silly shinigami." he taunted in a high pitch voice that creaked with age. "Like flies you have wondered straight into my web."

"No pathetic little trap can stop us!" shouted Elie defiantly. "Me especially." she added, rubbing her gloved hands together.

Yjorvi cackled at her words. "On the contrary, Captain Elric. You see, I knew this day would eventually come so I made preparations. I have studied every single high level shinigami and created an appropriate trap for each. Using cameras up in the village, I knew who was coming so had time to set up the perfect ones for you."

Elie clapped her hands and placed them on the ground but was instantly fired backwards as powerful bolts of electric shot up her arms. Yjorvi's laugh no filled the room. Above even that was the sound of Kamina's fruitless attempts at escape as he smashed and pulled at his restraints.

"Your imitation alchemy won't work here, girl." sneered the scientist. "I know that you zanpakuto is in a constant released state forming metal plates beneath your gloves. Just like your ancestral alchemy, those plates manipulate the partials in whatever they touch. Luckily for me though, metal conducts electricity beautifully."

"Bastard!" Elie growled, clutching her arms. "Even if I have to use my bankai, we will get out of here."

"Wrong again. You didn't think I'd spend all that time and effort on trapping you without installing a system to kill you?"

The wall opened up to reveal a vast doorway into what appeared to be a large storage hanger. Inside was the just visible sight of hundreds of indistinct figures who stood motionless in the gloom.

In one vast movement, the neat lines started forward in perfect symmetry. Exiting the darkness and emerging into the light. Row after row of blank human bodies without features or variation filed into the room. Each held a sword and a plain grey overall. None had any hair or pupils.

"What are they?" asked one shinigami hoarsely.

"They are a new form of gigai that I have been working on." answered the scientists proudly. "Soulless creatures designed as the perfect mass produced soldiers. I believe them to be more than a match for even a captain under these conditions. I call them the Battlegai."

Like sharks smelling blood, the battlegai rushed forward to assault the shinigami. Their speed, reflexes and strength were nothing spectacular as they clashed blades with the Thirteenth Division.

Elie's zanpakuto changed its shape, revealing itself from her gloves as deadly blades that seemed to emerge from her wrists. Using these she battered aside one of the battlegais' swords and stabbed it in the gut. She gasped as her hand passed into the soldier's stomach as though it was made of clay. Before she could yank it back out, the battlegai's body became solid like concrete, locking her trapped arm in place.

Yjorni's laughter echoed around the room. "You see? Your situation is hopeless! While my battlegai may not be powerful, their abilities give them the edge in a close combat situation. You have the choice of killing them and becoming pinned or defend and be worn down by their attacks."

Several shinigami had been caught out by this ploy and had lost the use of their weapons. Skilled in hand-to-hand combat as they were, it was still an uphill fight.

"Only use kido!" ordered Elie levelly as she blasted away at a cluster of the battlegai with a lightning bolt. Her men complied, raining magical destruction down upon the emotionless foes.

At first it seemed to be working but it quickly became apparent that the attacks passed through them, leaving holes in their bodies but causing no damage. The shinigami were becoming visibly panicked, their attacks doing nothing to slow down the approaching death.

Elie was forced onto the defensive as the battlegai closed in on the small group. They were slowly becoming pinned despite their best efforts. More and more kept coming, driving the helpless shinigami back against the wall.

"Bankai!" shouted Elie. Her zankakuto glowed but nothing else happened. The half of her blade still trapped within the battlegai did not react. She tried again but got the same results. She was alone now, trapped and surrounded.

From behind she was bludgeoned in the head, knocking her off balance. As she tried to regain her senses a battlegai stabbed his blade into her gut. On instinct she stabbed him back, locking it in place as it turned to stone.

"Checkmate." laughed Yjorvi smugly. "You won't be taking my life today. Quite the contrary. Goodbye, shinigami."

Hundreds of holes opened upon the walls. A turret emerged from each and began firing. The shinigami, unable to defend themselves anymore were cut down in a hail of bullets. The guns blared for several seconds then fell silent.

"Who uses guns on trapped men!" roared Kamina at the top of his lungs. His eyes burned with a fire that threatened to consume all that looked into them.

"Ah, Kamina." chuckled the scientist. "Trying to break out is pointless. That cage was designed to contain Kenpachi Zaraki. You stand no chance of escape. Don't you worry though, your captain isn't dead. Resilient little bitch, isn't she? I think, as you fry to death, I'll go down to her while she is at my mercy."

Kamina was about to shout out again when blistering electricity jumped from the cage and into his body. He screamed out as a deadly amount of volts tore through his system. Smoke rose from his skin and his limbs spasmed uncontrollably.

"I…wont…lose!" he hissed but he could feel his consciousness rapidly fading. He was pretty sure that his blood was beginning to boil.

_Why don't you let lose._

"Wh-"

_Forget control. Forget constraint and opinion._

"Who are…you."

There was a flash and Kamina found himself in his inner world. It had been a while since his last visit and things had changed dramatically. The pleasant landscape, the hollow zoo and the scrap yard were gone. Hollows ran amok and fires blazed everywhere turning the world red.

Kamina was stood face to face with a mirror image of himself but in monochrome. Yellow eyes stared into his soul, their very essence madness itself, pits into insanity. Despite their similarities, the white Kamina's body was a latticework of scars.

_Who am I? You mean you don't know me. I am your inner hollow. You controlled your hollowfication so well and had your other little hollow friend managing things so we've never had the chance to meet. I must say, I'm disappointed._

"Disappointed? Who the hell do y-"

_A weak fool who is about to be fried like a little insect. You will die and it won't even be in a fight. Trapped in a cage by a weedy little man. Very heroic._

"What would you know! Your just a cocky figment of my imagination. Who's powerless now!"

_Your fake confidence means nothing to me, boy. Your power is tied down. So much failed potential. If you hope to survive, then you better let go. Lose yourself to the power. _

"I'd rather die than be a mindless beast!"

_You may be reserved to die, but is your captain? She is down there, powerless and alone with a psychopath. Can you leave her to her fate after the kindness she has given you? After all your talk of honour and never giving up?_

Kamina grit his teeth. "I'll get out without your help. Kick logic to the curb and do the impossible! That is how I roll!"

With force of will he forced himself back into the agonising pain of reality. Through spotted vision he saw that Yjorvi was down below now approaching Elie's slumped form. Finding his voice Kamina roared and thrashed with all of his might. He tried harder than ever before but the effort was futile.

Yjorvi was beside Elie now. He yanked her head up to face him and she spat blood at him. Her body was a mess but she retained her defiance.

Urgently now Kamina strained the very fabric of his soul for extra power. He was on the edge of death but fought harder than ever.

_Will you let me help now?_

"Go…to…hell…argh!"

Elie screamed as the scientist hit her.

_Now?_

Yjorvi reached down, his intentions clear. Kamina snapped. "You bastard!" anger took over. Seeing a breech in concentration, the inner hollow ripped through Kamina's mental defences and took control by force.

A burst of power like a nuclear explosion shook the entire base. The very air turned to fire as Kamina screamed a monstrous scream. His hair grew, becoming wild like a lion's mane. His cape wrapped around his body creating a covering of flaming robes. His hollow mask formed but was different to usual. The shades became larger, more pointed and horn like while twisting spiral patterns of blood flowed across its bleached white surface.

Clawed hands grabbed at the bars, ripping them out with the ease of pulling up grass. The power emitted from Kamina's body was so great that the power limiter on his wrist short circuited and exploded in a shower of sparks.

"This isn't possible!" screeched Yjorvi as he quickly scampered away from the captain. "Battlegai, attack!"

Another room opened up and hundreds more battlegai charged at the floating form of Kamina. Kamina opened his mouth and fired a pure white cero that calved a mile long tunnel through the ground, reducing the battlegai to mist.

"Nonononono! Such power is impossible!" Yjorvi shrieked. "I'm not done yet though! I have recovered forbidden technology that will be more than a match. The imitation captains from centuries ago will crush you. Reigai, destroy him!"

This time the ground opened and a platform rose up. On it was a group that mirrored the make-up of the Gotai Thirteen back in Ichigo's time as a substitute shinigami. Captain's and lieutenant that bristled with power, an army in its own rights.

The reigai shot into the air, each one instantly powering up to bankai. Kamina howled then dived down to meet them without even drawing his sword. He smashed his fist into Renji's face, reducing the skull to mush. Attacks bounced off of his skin harmlessly even though their power would level a city.

Kamina grabbed the dog captain's sword and ripped the arm out of its socket before catching one of Soifon's missiles in his teeth. The ensuing explosion didn't even discolour his mask. A cero that smashed straight through the roof to reveal sunlight vaporised several of the lieutenants.

Hitsugaya tried to freeze him in place but the flames of Kamina's robes melted it instantly. A pink steak zipped past from Byakuya's Senbonzakura. Rather than dodge or block though, Kamina inhaled, drawing all of the lightweight metal petals into his mouth. Byakuya's usual calm vanished as, now defenceless, Kamina picked him up and swung him with such force at Hitsugaya that they both were left shattered.

A hail of super powered cero decimated the room completely, killing everything that they touched. As the dust cleared, only Kenpachi was left alive. The Eleventh Division captain rushed forward cackling with the thrill of the fight. He thrust his blade full forced right between Kamina's eyes. The zanpakuto turned to dust. Kenpachi's wolfish eyes opened wide in shock. Kamina ripped out the capsule from the reigai's chest.

Yjorvi was cowering in a corner. Kamina had destroyed the only exits and so now the scientist was trapped with his own lair. Kamina landed silently beside him.

"Get away from me!" he screamed in a high pitched voice. His entire body shook with blind terror. A wet patch formed around his crotch.

A voice that was like a warped version of Kamina's emanated from the hollow's mouth. The words each sounded like they carried a metal edge. "You think it is manly to abuse defenceless women? My opinion of men like you is that you don't deserve your balls!"

Kamina kicked the crying scientist in the groin with such force that his foot passed straight up the man's body, splitting it in half with a shower of gore.

With the battle ended and the adrenaline and anger fading, Kamina was able to wrestle control back from his inner hollow. He ripped of the mask and through his own eyes viewed the devastation. He cursed to himself.

Prioritising Elie, he moved to check on her. Miraculously she had avoided being hurt in Kamina's rampage. Bullet holes were clearly visible but she didn't look in immediate threat of dying. Sometime during the battle, she had lost consciousness.

"Lieutenant Kamina Jiha." said a voice above them. Kamina looked up to see the real Byakuya Kuchiki. Beside him stood Ichigo and Shunsui Kyoraku.

"Glad you guys are here." Kamina started as he broke the stone holding Elie. "The captain's badly hurt. We need to get her back now."

Byakuya ignored him. "In accordance with Article 16, we hereby place you under arrest."

000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000

_A/N: Dun-dun-duh… Well, there you have it, Kamina's first fight scene of the story…kinda._

_A question to you readers, do you want me to delve into the side characters more, maybe add chapters dedicated to them or would you prefer me to stay to the point and focus on the main story instead as any side character chapters wouldn't progress the plot but merely offer other angles and background events. Either way, its your call._

_For the winner of this weeks omake, I thought that it would only be fitting for Kamina to announce the result:_

_Kamina: "Hey hey hey all you crazy badasses out there. This weeks winner of the coveted omake is a man of real manliness and spirit. His journeys through the grand wastelands of Fanfiction have left him a veteran of all things manly. This badass is a true member of Team Dai-Gurren! I give you the one and only, Haru Takami! Bring the man some beer, The great Kamina demands it!"_

_Thank you all for reading. Please review or PM me. Any questions will be answered ASAP. Until next time_

_-FWF_


	8. Omake III

**TTGL: Brothers to the End.**

Omake Issue 3: 

_A/N: Pretty big author's notes today so if you want the omake, feel free to scroll down. _

_Firstly, I'll address some comments given in the last chapter. Regarding Kamina's new super power up, this isn't my attempt to make him some kind of overpowered DBZ character. It really is part of my plot and serves an important role in the story so just bare with it._

_As for spelling mistakes - no I don't have a beta reader and nor do I proof read, guilty as charged. I will try to make more of an effort to check my work but no promises. _

_Secondly, this omake was a b***h to write. I was told to write about Soifon and Yoruichi…you can all see where this is going. So my task was to write something tasteful and inoffensive but suggestive at the same time. The Chizaru omake in the last story pushed the bounds of decency far enough me thinks. Add to this the fact that I haven't even introduced Yoruichi into any of my stories and we have a difficult task…_

_So without further ado, for Haru Takami, here is omake number 3. Now go take a cold shower, ya damn perv. I know the wastes of Fanfiction are a lonely place…_

000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000

"The preparations are complete. You may leave." ordered a hardened voice that sounded like cold steel yet retained a certain aspect of femininity.

Several scientist looking men vacated the room, leaving a small figure alone with the whirring machines that had recently been constructed. The figure was petit in every way, her limbs wiry and her frame slender. Beneath the skin, compact muscles worked with every movement, giving strength and speed to her deceptively frail body.

She stalked past the machines, her captain's robes billowing with the movements. As she reached a curtained off section she stopped. Slowly she opened the curtains and a small smile shone upon her hardened face.

The area contained a shrine in the traditional Japanese style. Around it were all manner of cat plushies, toys and pictures, each one depicting a plain black feline. Other images of a tanned young woman with purple hair mingled with the cats. Even idols of the woman had been carved out of stone and wood.

Wires connected the shrine with the nearby machines in a confusing web of electronics. The young woman allowed herself a moment to bask in the shrine's glory before she approached a terminal beside a large stone cat. Her fingers danced across the buttons with fast precision, flesh and metal tapping against the plastic keys in a rhythmic beat.

The sound of the machines increased, becoming frantic in pace. Lights dipped and flared in a storm of colour that gave the room a hellish lightshow. The young woman laughed manically to complete the effect.

The shrine began to glow and pulse, tendrils of electricity shooting out from it dangerously. The flashes and sounds reached a crescendo with a thunderous flash of light, then silence.

Smoke had filled the room, obstructing everything from view. It cleared with dramatic slowness until a figure became visible at the foot of the shrine. It was laid out on the ground, the proportions all wrong for a human.

The smoke cleared completely to reveal the purple haired woman laid back on the ground, completely naked except for a covering of bubbles. She cocked her head in the direction of the smaller woman.

"Ah, Soifon! Long time no see. You have such well placed timing as ever."

Soifon coughed awkwardly, sliding a document titled '_Yoruichi's daily schedule._' beneath another pile of papers.

"Yoruichi sama!" the captain breathed in complete awe.

Yoruichi rose to her feet with accentuated movements, causing some of the bubbles to fall away. Soifon moved her hands over her nose to prevent a stream of blood that threatened to cover her face.

"Not that I don't enjoy your company, but any reason why you have interrupted my bath to bring me here? My subjects are hopeless without me after all." Yoruichi asked with a knowing smirk.

Soifon tried to look serious. "Grave matters are afoot. We need your help."

"So you bring me here against my will while I'm without clothes? Also, why all the cat merchandise? A simple picture alone would have done the job." Yoruichi stretched her limbs causing more bubbles to fall. "I think that you just wanted to see me." she purred, leaning closer to the captain.

"Y-Yoruichi sama!" protested Soifon through trembling lips.

Yoruichi leaned in yet further and wrapped her arms around the smaller woman. Soifon squeaked and turned bright red. Yoruichi reached inside the captain robes… then danced back playfully with an envelope in her hands.

"Yoruichi sama!" cried out Soifon as she tried to recapture the paper. Yoruichi toyed with her, keeping the envelope always just out of reach.

"Let's see what we've got here, eh." the former captain grinned as Soifon pleaded for its return. She opened the top then slowly withdrew the paper from inside. Her smile grew larger and more mischievous as they were revealed to be a collection of photographs. Each one depicted Soifon in a cute little cat suit with furry ears and a tail. Some of the posses were most…entertaining.

"My little Soifon is all grown up. What would your family think?" taunted Yoruichi, enjoying every second of the younger woman's embarrassment. "Is that a little cat paw tattoo on your-"

"Yoruichi sama!" repeated Soifon, tears in her eyes. She gave the other woman the puppy dog eyes.

Yoruichi relented, wiping a tear from Soifon's face with a delicate stroke of her thumb. Moving close she placed her lips beside the captain's ear and whispered. "It suits you."

Soifon was about to reply but a slight sound from above drew both women's attention. They glared up at the roof and noticed for the first time a blue haired figure hanging onto the rafters while trying to get a better view. The bubbles had all popped and the photo's were aimed upward. The temptation had been to great for any man to handle.

Kamina gulped as the atmosphere suddenly became very oppressive. "Son of a bitc-"

"BANKAI!" bellowed Soifon with all of the wrath of the gods. The golden cannon formed and without even a second's pause she fired the rocket straight at Kamina. Unable to move from his precarious perch, he was hit dead centre and blown clean out of the building.

Huffing with frustration, Soifon turned back to where Yoruichi had been. The woman was gone. Soifon ran up the shrine and saw that the woman was already teleporting herself back. The purple haired queen flashed the photos that were still in her slender hands.

"I'll be keeping these. They might come in handy." she grinned, then was gone.

Soifon sighed as she left the machines. She worked her way around the room collecting concealed cameras that had covered the entire area. Playing one back she watched as the naked Yoruichi embraced her. A smile graced her face.

_Time to make compilation video with all of these._ she thought to herself, unable to suppress a wolfish smile.


	9. 6 You're gonna do what?

**TTGL: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter 6: You're gonna do what?"

"What the hell's going on!" raged Kittan, grabbing Ichigo's robes and pulling the captain towards him violently. "Why have you got Kamina locked up? It makes no damned sense!"

Ichigo's face remained impassive but his eyes told a different story. "It's not my call.

"You carried it out though! What the hell are you guys thinking!" Kittan growled, shaking Ichigo to vent his anger.

"I don't like it either, damn it. Its all for the protection of the universe so just bare with it." Ichigo tried to calm him. His heart wasn't in the words though. "Why are you even here? Renji still hasn't come back from his mission yet. I thought you went with him."

"So what? This is more important than some damned mission!" snapped Kittan.

"So you abandoned your captain?"

Kittan snorted. "My loyalty lies with Team Dai-Gurren first and foremost. Never forget it! You mess with one of us and we'll mess you up. That's the way Team Dai-Gurren rolls!"

"Yeah! We crush those that hurt our bros! Smash 'em up real good!" growled the twins threateningly. Only Kittan seemed to be keeping them back from carrying out their threats. The other members of Team Dai-Gurren hadn't returned yet. It was only a matter of time before they returned though.

Ichigo released Kittan's grip. "Look, I'll do what I can and you know I will. Kamina is my friend too and I don't expect him to be locked up like this. Just keep calm and don't do anything stupid while I sort it out."

Kittan sighed. "Yeah. Your right. Can't you at least tell us why Kamina's been locked up?"

"Sorry. It's confidential. Even I don't know the full details yet. I'll tell you as soon as I can. I'm going to see Toshiro now so I'll get some answers, whether he wants me to have them or not.

Ichigo walked in silence up to the First Division barracks. Despite what he had said to Kittan, he had a pretty good suspicion what was happening. He didn't like how things were looking.

Hitsugaya was waiting for him in his office. He looked stressed beyond imagination but tried to retain his usual look of icy calm. He was apparently alone in the building, the other squad members nowhere to be seen. It was probably their loyalty, not wanting him to know that they could see him so highly strung.

"How is everyone taking it?" the head captain asked wearily.

"Not well. Most of the shinigami look up to Kamina as their hero. He commands as much respect and loyalty amongst the men as any captain does. As for Team Dai-Gurren, They're ready to storm the Seireitei to free him whether we oppose them or not. As things stand, it doesn't look good." Ichigo frowned as he slumped into the chair opposite Hitsugaya.

"I feared as much." Hitsugaya said, running his hand through his unkempt hair.

"Care to tell me why we're doing this then?"

Hitsugaya stood then after failing to find a comfortable position, seated himself again. He took a folder from the side and passed it to Ichigo. "Kamina is too dangerous in the current climate. The threat if he loses control of himself is grave but I trust him to control himself. The real problem is his continued power growth. His fight just now poured masses of excess spiral energy into the universe. Nemu estimates that in that brief battle alone he sped up the coming of the Spiral Nemesis by a week."

"Damn." cursed Ichigo quietly while he studied the information in the file. "So Simon isn't the only potential Nemesis?"

"No. At this rate, Kamina could overtake Simon's power level. Simon learnt everything he knew from Kamina so it only makes sense that Kamina had equal potential. If he had survived, we all know that Kamina would have stayed stronger than Simon." Hitsugaya commented dryly.

Ichigo placed the file down. "What do you plan?"

"What can I do?" answered Hitsugaya, uncharacteristically lost sounding. "If we keep him safe then we risk civil war but if we release him we both know that he can't help but to keep getting stronger. Without knowing what is happening with Simon, I can't make any assessment of the future. What would you do?"

Ichigo didn't move. He was deep in thought. The head captain joined him, both sitting in silence as they thought through the issue. Finally, the Fifth Division captain spoke. "I'll go speak with Kamina. He's more reasonable than he acts."

"Thanks, Ichigo. Sometimes I envy people like Kamina. To be able to follow your heart and do what you believe to be right without hesitation. Being the leader always portrays you as the badguy as you have to look at the bigger picture all of the time. Individuals just fade into a background noise."

Ichigo placed a hand on Toshiro's shoulder with a smile. "Nobody judges you, Toshiro. Now get some sleep, you look like you need it."

Hitsugaya nodded gratefully. Ichigo left him and made the journey from the barracks to the heavily defended prison known as the Maggot Nest. The guards let him past with cautious glances. The prisoners shouted and spat from their cells angrily as he passed them by. He moved through the various levels until he reached the heart of the complex.

The door was opened by five strong men to reveal Kamina strung up with heavy chains. He appeared to be asleep.

"Took your time." Kamina grunted without opening his eyes. "You'd better let me down now or I'm gonna be pissed. You won't like me when I'm pissed."

With a snort, Ichigo punched him in the face.

"What the hell are you playing at! I follow my damn orders, saved Captain Elric and eliminated the target. Then you guys arrest me, chain me up in the dark and now your attacking me! Damn bastards! You should be grateful that I came quietly instead of kicking your sorry asses!"

"You are on the verge of creating the Spiral Nemesis. Simon is no longer viewed as the sole threat to existence. You brought us a whole week closer to the apocalypse after that incident." Ichigo stated calmly.

"I see." replied Kamina with equal calm. "Still no word?"

"No. You need to worry about yourself now. Toshiro has no idea what to do. Us arresting you has seriously messed up the peace." Ichigo said with a faint smile. "Your Dai-Gurren men are loyal to the point of fault. Kittan actually threatened me."

"It's not Toshiro that will decide anything. The people might be with me at the moment, but the second they find out how dangerous I am, they'll quickly change their opinions. If the masses think that I'll shorten their lives, they'll want to shorten mine. I thing Toshiro knows that. That's why he's risking his own neck by not revealing why I have been imprisoned."

"They'll find out soon, whatever Toshiro does. Things are going to nasty whatever we do." Ichigo said. He leant against the wall and closed his eyes. "We're surrounded by threats on all sides yet we can't fight any of them."

Heavy footsteps pounded down the hallway beyond. One of the guards burst into the small room panting.

"Captain! Mutiny! The Dai-Gurren men have rebelled and are storming the entrance as we

speak!" he shouted frantically.

"The damn fools! I told them to wait!" Ichigo grunted angrily. "I'll go stop them. Hopefully they'll still see reason."

"Ichigo." Kamina said, causing the captain to turn. The last sight Ichigo saw was a heap of broken chains on the floor and a high speed fist rocketing toward his face. Then darkness.

Kamina stretched his limbs and rolled his shoulders. The guard gawped at him, making small sounds of shock.

"Bankai."

The man fainted. Kamina prodded him with his foot. "I don't even have my sword, dumbass."

There was an explosion in the distance. Kamina smiled broadly. "Looks like my pickup has arrived."

He strode through the prison, dispatching any guard in sight easily despite being weapon less. Each attack was carefully aimed to avoid unnecessary damage to the poor men. The sound of battle echoed through the chambers before him. Evidently most of the guards had left their posts to fight the invaders.

A guard came flying through a doorway and landed hard beside Kamina's feet. A moment later, Kittan followed. He looked battered but stood tall above the carnage around him. He noticed Kamina and snorted.

"Looks like we wasted our time. You could have at least waited and let us take the glory."

Kamina offered him a shrug. "Is everyone here?"

"Everyone except Nia."

"Good. From this moment on, we're outlaws." Kamina announced. "The Dai-Gurren Renegades. Its got a nice ring to it."

Kittan looked troubled. "Has it really come down to that?"

"'Fraid so. We've got one stop to make, then we're off. We can't go before you've had chance to say goodbye to Rangiku after all. That and Toshiro has my zanpakuto."

The two started to make their way back, joining with the male members of Team Dai-Gurren in the next room. The unconscious forms of guards littered the ground. The others greeted Kamina, worry clearly on their faces. None of them were stupid."

"How come you're in here?" Kidd ventured. "Everything is all hush-hush."

"I'm too badass apparently." he laughed. Studying their faces he put on his serious face. "I'm categorised the same as Simon now. "I'm potentially powerful enough to create the Spiral Nemesis."

"So they were gonna lock you up until this whole mess was sorted!" exclaimed Zorthy.

"Or kill him. That is why we just killed those targets." pointed out Iraak.

Kamina stepped onto a body for extra height to address his men. "They'll be doing nothing! Nobody can stop the mighty Kamina! Me and Kittan are heading to the First Division barracks. Makken, go fetch us some parts and equipment. Whatever you think will be useful. Take Jorgun and Balinbow with you. Kidd, Zorthy, Iraak, you're all on food duty. Remember the sake while you're at it. Meet at the usual place."

"Got it!" affirmed the group. They exited the Maggots Nest and ran in different direction, eyes peeled for opposition.

The Seireitei was already stirring, the news of the prison attack already spreading like wildfire. The place was in chaos, nobody quite sure what was happening or why it was happening."

Kamina and Kittan had taken long cloaks from a store, wrapping themselves up to hide their identities. They ran through the packed streets and were confronted by a large mob when they finally reached the head captain's compound. The crowd shouted angrily at the compound, some even throwing stones.

In the confusion of the crowd, the two were able to slip through and find a safe place to vault over the high walls. Inside was nearly as chaotic as outside. Disregarding stealth, the two tanked their way through the buildings in search of Kamina's Zanpakuto. The shinigami fell before them like flies.

"This way." Kamina directed. He could feel Gurren's presence strong now. They were close. He smashed a door in saw his sword laid carefully across a desk. Next to the desk stood Lieutenant Rangiku and Third Seat Nia.

Nia looked deeply troubled. "Bro, why are you hurting everybody? Why are you and 'Shiro kun in disagreement? Aren't we all friends?"

"Listen Nia. I've got to go. Just let me get Gurren and everything will be better."

"Y-Your leaving? What about me. I am also a member of Team Dai-Gurren."

Kamina placed a broad hand on her slender shoulder. "You've got a good thing going here Nia. Look, you need to stay her because where we're going we'll have no word on Simon. We need at least one member of Team Dai-Gurren to keep an eye on him.

During this exchange, Kittan and Rangiku stared at each other in silence.

"I'm sorry." Kittan finally managed. "I've got to go. Team Dai-Gurren is my family. I…"

"You don't have to explain." Rangiku smiled softly. "After all, I like a caring man of honour. A man of action is so…sexy."

Kittan's face turned crimson. He floundered for a few seconds then punched himself in the face. Focus returned, he grabbed Rangiku and leaned in, kissing her deeply. "I'll be back. You can count on that. Nothing could keep me away for long." he promised.

Seeing Rangiku's approval, Nia passed Kamina his Zanpakuto. "Be careful, big bro Kamina. Good luck."

"You too." Kamina nodded. "Come on!" he motioned to Kittan before leaving. The second they had passed through the door, Kittan nearly collapsed, his legs a shacking mess. Kamina held him up until he had calmed himself.

They quickly retraced their steps through the complex and managed to escape without incident. That was the easy part though. The mob still surrounded the area, more people seemed to be joining it with every passing minute. This didn't register with Kamina though. His attention was drawn to one place alone: The hulking form of Kenpachi Zaraki.

"You're not trying to make a sneaky escape, are you Kamina? I thought you were a real man." mocked the monster of a man. His pointed features screamed of his battle lust.

Kittan grabbed Kamina's arm. "Forget him. We've got to go!"

"Shut it, blondie." said Kenpachi menacingly. "What's it gonna be, Kamina? Does betraying us mean betraying yourself?"

"Come on!" urged Kittan again, pulling harder.

Kamina put on his shades. "Go on without me."

"What!"

"The great Kamina never runs from a fight! Enough of this stealth crap! I'm gonna do this the Dai-Gurren way! Tell the others I'll be right behind you. Go!"

Kittan hesitated, but seeing that no amount of logic would change Kamina's mind, he quickly left.

"You're a man after all. I respect that. It's not going to stop me killing you though." Kenpachi said, his teeth showing like a shark's. His jagged blade shone in the sunlight, reflecting the red of Kamina's cloak to create a blood drenched effect on the weapon.

"Ha! Who the hell do you think I am! Kenpachi, the name given to the strongest soul. I think its time I take that title off of you." jeered Kamina. "You ready to be cut down to size?"

"Enough barking. Let's see how well you bite!" roared Kenpachi happily. He dashed forward and Kamina blocked, his powerful muscles struggling to resist the captain's raw strength.

Kamina flipped away from a series of rapid slashes, his superior agility serving him well against his opponent's greater mass. Kenpachi was no snail though. He moved with a brutal efficiency that left no room for error

_You could kill him. Use me again._

Kamina pushed all thoughts from his head and launched a flurry of sword strokes that Kenpachi deflected with quick wrist movements. He knew that he had little time until other captains would turn up and then he really would be screwed. There was no chance that he could beat Kenpachi quick enough but he sure as hell wasn't going to run. Going hollow was not an option.

"Sorry about this, Kenny." Kamina muttered beneath his breath. His cape split and became a fiery pair of wings that spread out behind him. They flexed then thrust him high into the air. He soared into the sky, darting through the clouds until the ground was no longer visible below.

With an aerial spin, Kamina faced back toward the earth and rocketed down with a powerful beat of his wings. He gained speed until he hit the speed of sound, creating a sonic boom as he flashed back to the ground. His blade slashed out at the last second, smashing into Kenpachi with the force of a meteorite.

A gaping crater opened up around the two fighters, Kamina sending the captain several metres through the dirt before darting back up and bombarding the area with super heated cero. The rubble melted becoming glass that encased Kenpachi below ground.

Kamina knew that he only had a few seconds before the psycho broke his way free. He struck a victorious pose. "Victory is mine. Now I must go, my people need me!" he declared before flash-stepping away. He liked to think that he'd achieved a moral victory at the least.

Behind him the ground exploded as Kenpachi fought his way back to the surface. He was about to give chase when a small but firm hand grabbed his forearm. He looked down to see Hitsugaya.

"Forget him for now." the head captain ordered. "We've got bigger problems. Captain Kurotsuchi has locked onto Simon's energy readings. They are going ballistic. We've never seen such readings before short of the Tengen Toppa battle with the Anti-Spirals. If he isn't stopped soon then we're all doomed."

"You want me to sort it?" Kenpachi asked, clearly longing for a chance to fight Simon.

"No. We can't get involved with human affairs. At least not yet. We just have to hope that the human's have a plan in place while we prepare for the worst case scenario.

_The shit is about to hit the fan_, hits Gaya thought to himself with foreboding.

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_A/N: Hey, sorry for the delay. It's been one of those weeks where just getting up in a morning is a real fight. Damn you life and you cold, dark early mornings…bed so warm…_

_Anyway not sure how this chapter has turned out as it was written over a longer period of time than usual and I wrote half of it while tipsy. _

_This weeks omake goes to my friend and long time reviewer, 'archsage328' so fire away._

_Hope you all enjoyed, now I'm off to bed. Night all._

_-FWF_


	10. Omake IV

**TTGL Brothers to the End.**

Omake Issue 4: Robot Wars.

_A/N: This Omake is dedicated to 'Shade the Bat', who missed his entry for the second Omake. Since this week's winner was delayed in his reply, (my fault for posting late) here is Shade's overdue Omake. I'll admit before hand that I don't really watch many Mecha anime, Gurren Lagann being the exception so forgive my lack of knowledge and variety. Hope you all enjoy, please read and review._

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The air was thick with the smell of oil and heated metal.

"I love the smell of mecha in the morning!" announced Kamina loudly, deeply inhaling the scent of grinding metal and fuel. He strode through the hanger, admiring the huge selection of mecha that had been gathered for the annual Soul Society Mecha Appreciation Society Show.

A rainbow of colours and designs filled the massive space, robots from every era, country and world on display. Kamina and the other members of Team Dai-Gurren traversed the room, examining the exhibitions and speaking with other pilots. "Gunmen, Knightmares and Gundams of all shapes and sizes gave plenty to look at. Not that Kamina was here just for the mecha but rather the wealth of female pilots in tight plugsuits.

The men were less pleasing. Real men NEVER wore tight plastic suits, Kamina decided. He'd noticed that most of the pilots seemed to be brooding, hormonal, emo teenagers. How most of them managed to summon up any fighting spirit was beyond him.

Kamina moved through the crowds, a few names on the display plaques catching his eye as he passed them. _Lancelot_,_ Deathscythe_,_ Big-O_,_ Voltron_,_ Guren_…

"Wait!" roared Kamina, seemingly unprovoked. He stepped back suddenly and glared at the last plaque. _Guren._

His eyes darted to the offending machine. It was a Knightmare frame by the look of it, its metal armour crimson and its build slender and long limbed. One of its arms looked mismatched, longer than the other and remained unpainted.

"What the hell is this?" he blustered. "This scrap pile doesn't deserve the name of Gurren! Come on, its not even spelt right! Worst cosplay ever!"

"Quite you're yapping." snapped a female voice. Kamina turned to see a young woman with reddish pink hair striding toward him. She wore a tight fitting uniform that accentuated her shapely figure.

"Hello!" whistled Kamina, momentarily forgetting his affronted pride. He was partial to redheads. Hell, women in general to be fair.

"Hey, don't gawp at me you damned pervert!" the girl exclaimed as she traced Kamina's line of sight. "First you insult my Guren, then you try undressing me with your eyes. You really are an asshole."

"So this piece of crap is yours then?" laughed Kamina, indicating the red mecha.

"Yeah? I am Kallen, elite bodyguard for a former emperor and master Knightmare pilot. My mecha is the height of technology. What's it to you? " she threw back.

"Oh, nothing. Only that it totally doesn't deserve that name and pales in comparison to **my** Gurren." mocked Kamina.

The young woman looked ready to punch him in the face until another voice joined the topic. "They are both cheap knockoffs as far as real mecha go."

Both Kamina and Kallen span around, their eyes brimming with flames of passion to see the new comer. It was a young man in shorts and a green tank top. His face was expressionless and his hair was a dark brown. He was visibly toned, the muscles compact but clearly fast and powerful.

"It's you!" accused Kallen, pointing a finger toward him.

"Who is this guy?" growled Kamina. "He just looks like every other conventional teenage emo pilot."

Kallen frowned. "That is Heero Yuy."

"Heero who-y?"

The man came face to face with Kamina. "Heero Yuy, Pilot of Wing Zero.

"What kind of a mecha would you name Zero. Zero just screams loser."

Kallen smacked him across the head. "Take that back! Zero was a great man!"

"Wait, he's a man now?"

"No." responded Heero. "It's that mecha there." he said, pointing at a giant white and blue mecha that dwarfed the two Gur(r)ens. It was of the typical gundam design but had a glorious pair of feathered wings on its back, giving it the look of a mechanical angel.

Kamina tried to hide his impressed look. Kallen was first to recover. "Yeah, well…er…you must be overcompensating for something!"

Thinking on the various over the top sized mecha he, and especially Simon had piloted, Kamina elected not to comment on this. Instead he chose his usual confident retort. "It's still no match for my Gurren!"

"How so? Wing Zero has a beam gun that can destroy spaceships and a giant lightsaber."

"Mine has an arm that can melt anything with intense radiation." added Kallen.

"Yeah…well Gurren has some really big shades…that he hits things with." Kamina explained lamely.

Kallen smiled smugly. "My Guren has super developed reflexes and can cover long distances at high speed."

"Zero can cover continents in a matter of minutes." Heero stated.

Kamina thought of Gurren's slow, lumbering run and heavy movements. Even he was unable to come up with a suitable retort. He settled on his usual problem solving method instead. "There is only one way to truly find out whose mecha is the best. Fight!"

The three pilots manned their robots and gathered on a large, open field a short distance away. A random woman with certain large…assets, whom Kamina had picked out of the crowd, waved a flag, signalling the beginning of the battle.

Kamina was the first to move. He dashed at Kallen's Guren and swung his shades for its head. She caught the weapon in the grey arm and it began to glow. Gurren's shades started to bubble then exploded, despite the fact that there was nothing flammable to create an explosion.

Before Kallan could follow through with an attack, Kamina shoulder barged into the thinner mecha and delivered a punch to its chest. Neither got a chance to retaliate further though.

"It's over." came Heero's voice through the comm system. Wing Zero had risen into the air and now aimed its rather big gun down at the combatants. It was already charging.

"Son of a bitch!" shouted Kamina. Both tried to run, Knightmare Gurren easily outpacing gunman Gurren.

A blinding beam of light roared down from the gun and smashed into Gurren. Kallen managed to avoid the blast, her superior speed serving her well. The energy tore through Gurren's armour, only being blocked from dissolving Kamina through sheer force of will to hold the gunman together. The beam ended and what remained of Gurren collapsed to the floor in a smouldering ruin.

Kamina was badly blooded. He groaned as every breath caused a fresh wave of pain. "Bastards! Gurren is better than this! I'll show them whose mecha is really the strongest. Using Gurren Lagann logic, the harder I try, the bigger my mecha gets. Let's show 'em who's boss, Tengen Toppa Gurren!"

Blue flames erupted around Gurren as it began to grow. Matter poofed into existence to facilitate the growth, the metal armour growing and changing, held together by areas of blue energy. Patterns of blue energy that matched Kamina's tattoos ran through the crimson armour.

The evolution completed itself and Kamina could see the vast expanse of space around him. He looked down to see the Earth underneath one colossal foot. "Ah… That might have been an overkill." he mused. Gloomily he chewed on a cooked chicken leg. "It was worth it. Bet they don't have that smug look on their faces now."


	11. 7 Simon the Destroyer

**TTGL Brothers to the End.**

Chapter 7: Simon the Destroyer.

_Impenetrable darkness and blinding light threaded into one another in a chaotic weave that defied all logical conception. Pain like incineration on a cellular level ebbed and flowed in unreadable patterns that reduced the mind to little more than a whimpering mess. _

_Raindrops on a dessert, each and every orb of water absorbed by the sand into oblivion. Every thought screwed up and eaten by snakes. A red sun dripping blood. Teeth in the night's sky. A constant humming on the edge of hearing like a swarm of locus hovering in the distance, awaiting their order to consume the world._

_Voices whispered promises without end, heart's desires laid out on platters that begged to be taken…_

Simon stirred within the machine, his muscles convulsing awkwardly in the tight confinement. He murmured unintelligible words that rattled within his own head.

"It sounds like he is ready for the next stage." observed the leading Meta-Spiral. A group of the glowing beings had gathered around the machine that contained Simon. "Administer the procedure, Nikkita."

"Leave it to me." affirmed the green haired woman. She skipped up to the machine and placed her hands over the section that contained Simon's head. The blazing yellow energy that surrounded her body spread over the metal. Her eyes glowed a brilliant what for a few seconds then she staggered back.

"It is done." she announced through laboured breaths.

"Let's say hello to Simon then." smirked the lead Meta-Spiral. He typed in a series numbers. The machine clicked and began to open. Steam billowed out, followed by the shadow of a man.

"Welcome back, spiral warrior Simon." greeted the white haired Meta. "Did you sleep well?"

Through the steam stepped a young man, limber of limb yet clearly well muscled. He was completely naked, showing his well toned body to the world. He looked solid as though he was carved from stone. His dark blue hair was untamed, covering his eyes. He lifted his head, revealing the spiral patterned eyes beneath the hair.

"Where…am I?"

"You are in our base. We have fully restored you to your youth so that you can finally fulfil your destiny."

Simon nodded dully. "My head…feels strange."

The white haired Meta-Spiral handed him a pile of clothes. "That would be Nikkita's doing. You're compliance is essential to our plan yet you are very resilient to the idea. Altering your mind was not enough to guarantee your loyalty. She has split her soul and placed a small part of it within your head. You may suffer a few side effects but they should fade. It will direct your thoughts without making you into a mindless drown. Brainwashed slaves cannot be spiral warriors after all."

"Understood."

"After you have grown in power we will each impart a section of our soul into you to create the perfect spiral being. That is a worry for another day though. Today, you only need to worry about our first objective." the Meta informed.

"And what would that be?" Simon asked as he dressed himself. His old personality was starting to come back to the surface, much to the Meta-Spirals' delight.

The leader's mouth split into a toothy grin. "You must reclaim your core drill and pilot Gurren Lagann once again!"

"Ah, Gurren Lagann. That will be nice." smiled Simon darkly. His smile faded as he locked eyes with the Meta. "I have something else to do first."

"Oh." said the Meta, slightly surprised, a bemused look upon his face. "And what would that be?"

"I have a place to visit. There is something that I need to get before I'll do anything."

"Excellent. You still have such a fierce spirit. Go ahead. We will take you where you wish to go. Follow us, our ship awaits your orders, Commander Simon. I, Marcus Vale, and all members of the Meta-Spiral order are at your command."

Vale led the group through the plain white corridors, their footsteps clicking rhythmically on the hard floor. Simon's new blue overcoat swishing behind him dramatically, flowing like water in his wake. They entered into a large room that had been converted into a hanger. A single spaceship was docked, its sleek silver body looking like a shark. They embarked, the ships interior comfy and able to facilitate its crew's every need.

Under Simon's direction, massive doors in the ceiling opened to allow the ship out. It took off with a burst of power, moving at speeds that turned the world into a blur around it. The ship sped past two continents and vast expanses of empty sea before Simon called the vessel to a halt.

He left the ship alone, the Meta-Spirals remaining within. His feet moved across soft grass as his swirling eyes took in the rolling plains and distant volcanoes. He had chosen to land the craft slightly away from his objective, instead choosing to stretch his body and go on foot. Before him was a cliff with a narrow path that led up the shallowest slop to its summit. He scaled the path with ease and basked in the awe inspiring view that flooded his vision. The sight brought back vivid memories.

Simon allowed his eyes to drift toward the object that sat near the cliff's edge. Worn red fabric spread in the wind, its flight to the heavens only obstructed by a sword that anchored it to the earth. Its purple handle stood high, defiant against the elements that had weathered it for years.

"It's been a while, bro." Simon said as he settled himself beside the grave. He sighed to himself. "I threw away my life, went against everything you taught me. You would never have let me fade away into nothing, let me be so alone. You would have helped me find a different path where I could be happy again. I've been given a second chance, bro. I'm going to take it. I deserve some happiness after everything I have done, you more than anyone knows that."

His head turned his head to examine the other graves that flanked the sword. He nodded at each in turn, his eyes only resting at the white cross that marked his wife's memorial. He didn't speak to it though, no words coming to his mind.

He sat without moving for several minutes, simply soaking in the sights, smells and sounds. After a while he sat up and rose to his feet with a youthful ease. He eyed the white cross again but turned himself back to the crimson cape. He was here on business after all.

"I think its time to set you free, Kamina. You've been bound here for too long. It's time for you to finally see the world." Simon spoke as he untied the cape from the sword. The wind caught in the material, pulling the cape from Simon's loose grip. He watched as the cape flew away over the cliff, looking like some great bird on a journey to traverse the world.

Simon placed a firm grip upon the sword and withdrew it from its decades old resting place. Slowly he pulled the blade from the battered scabbard. The metal gleamed in the sun, its edge as sharp as the day it left Kamina's hands forever. Simon gave it a few experimental swings, satisfied with the way it sliced through the air.

Kamina's power flowed through the cold metal. Simon could feel it through his hands, confidence and strength flowing into him at the slightest contact. He sheathed the sword and fastened it to his belt. With Kamina at his side, he couldn't fail. Simon really would pierce the heavens and he wouldn't just move toward tomorrow but he would create it!

Simon the Destroyer returned to the ship, his mind locked solely onto his core drill and the hands that held it…

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_A/N: Sorry for another short chapter but don't threat, the next Simon chapter will be where things really start to heat up. More to the point though, I apologise for the irregular uploads. I think I'll take a week off in order to get back on track. Sorry for the inconvenience._

_The next omake goes to 'hunterror' as a thumbs up for recommending my work to someone. Big thanks. Send me your idea in a review or PM and I'll see what I can do._

_As stated before, next chapter will be late but should return things to their normal schedules. Until then…_

_-FWF_


	12. Omake V

**TTGL: Brothers to the End.**

Omake Issue 5: Ode to Kamina.

_A/N: Sorry about the delay, I'm currently blighted by that fear inflicting disease known as writer's block. The Omake winner didn't get back to me and my idea well is currently at a low. Because of this, I have turned to poetry… This might not be appreciated but oh well. _

_On a side note I may cut the omake down to one a month to free up some time. If you guys particularly like the omakes and want to keep them weekly then make sure to tell me and I'll reconsider. Reviews please._

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What is a man?

It is viewed by our society as an adult male, a sorry assumption indeed

For real men have no age, as shown by my hero

Kamina may not be real but he left a very real mark on so many people

And at seventeen he is by far the greatest man I know

Fiery spirit and ambition are his creed, his dreams what set him apart

His message to never look back and push for you goals

Rang true to me and gave me hope in a grey world

Like Simon I was lost and in doubt

But it was Kamina, not some real guy, who helped me get out

A pillar of badass masculinity and an epic hero

But who felt human, had weaknesses and fears

His brother, his girlfriend, his mecha, dreams and life

Everything he loved given up in the fight

And though he was with us for only eight episodes

He carved out a spot in each of our souls to fill

Because the real measure of a man is not wealth, fame or power

As we are forced to believe by those that surround us

But by the impact we leave, how we choose to give our lives

To never give up and always fight, never cower

Fuck your celebrities and 'role model' slags

We side with real inspirational figures, however fictional they may be

So raise up your arms and shout with pride

We side with Kamina be he dead or alive

Ask them to answer just one simple question

WHO THE HELL DO THEY THINK WE ARE!

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_A/N: Just kidding! Wouldn't leave you with that. On with the real omake lol._

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Omake V: Leeron.

Viral walked through the deserted corridors, his commander uniform worn proudly like a badge of honour. He'd come so far in life that it boggled belief. At the same time though, so little had changed. While his rank and power had spiralled to ever greater heights, his body had remained the same, trapped forever at the same age due to Lordgenome. It was a blessing and a curse he mused idly, thinking on how old everyone looked now, those young children he had first met now old men and women.

He passed through a door, entering into a large chamber filled with screens and computer terminals. The room was a hustle of activity as numerous scientists and technicians set about their jobs with a passion that only geeks could produce. Many of them Viral had known all of their lives, seen them grown from babies into renown geniuses.

At the centre of the room was the man that Viral needed to see. The lanky body, strange dress sense, light green hair and somewhat disturbing face meant that he was easy to pick out in a crowd. Leeron Littner, Head Scientist of the Galactic Federation.

Leeron saw the approaching beastman and waved at him with an over-dramatic flourish of the hand. Viral shuddered slightly. Despite the amount of time he had known the man, he still was creeped out by him.

"What brings you into my lair, honey." winked the scientist with a flirty smile. "Come for a sneaky little favour?"

Viral resisted the urge to punch him. He repressed the feeling of bloodlust and proceeded to Leeron's side.

"President Rossiu wanted me to deliver the new combat performance data to you. He mentioned you had some improved systems for me to inspect too." the commander said, indicating the envelope he was holding.

"Ooh yeah. I've got some real beauties here for you. Although, if you would come over to my private room I could show you the really impressive technology." Leeron teased suggestively.

"Just show me the stuff before I disfigure your damn face." growled Viral testily. Leeron complied, teasing the beastman throughout the entire exchange. He was glad when he was finally able to depart the man's company. He really needed a member of staff solely to deal with the pesky technology whore.

"I don't understand him either." commented one of Viral's officers over lunch later that day. "I mean, gender and personality aside, how the hell does he still look so young?"

"You're right." agreed Viral, thinking the matter over for the first time. "I've known him for decades and he doesn't look a day older."

"Its probably make-up. You know what he's like." commented a trooper light-heartedly. "He's more make-up than man."

"He doesn't wear make-up." replied Viral dryly. "It was only invented a few years ago."

"Dear God." choked the trooper.

Another soldier huddled closer to them. In a conspiring whisper he give his view point. "I've heard that he kidnaps women, kills them then steals their skin. That's why it looks so unnatural."

Viral considered this. It would have fit if not for the lack of abundant women through most of the man's life. "No, it's not that."

A new recruit piped in. "Well they say that semen is good for the skin."

Viral shot him. "Never EVER put that kind of imagery into my head.

"Sorry…Sir" moaned the recruit as he limped away to the medical bay.

"What are you dashing young men talking about?" came an ominous feminine voice. Leeron plonked himself in the now vacant seat next to Viral and draped his arms around the commander. Viral clutched his spoon with murderous intent. "Oh, you want to spoon me?"

Viral dropped the spoon as though it was boiling hot. His face turned a shade of green.

The officer tried to divert the situation. "So, er, Leeron…How is it that you still look so young?"

Leeron eyed the group mischievously. "Do you really want to know?"

They thought about it. "Ah. On second thoughts, no. No we don't."

"Well I'll tell you anyway." the scientist beamed. "Beastman DNA. Viral's to be precise."

The commander shot him a venomous look that was tinged with curiosity. Anger was definitely winning out though.

"Lordgenome's computers explained how the beastmen regenerated during sleep. It also explained Viral's immortality. By stealing some of his blood I was able to augment myself to never age." Leeron told them with a wink.

Viral bared his teeth. "You stole my blood!" he hissed.

"Yessums."

"And gave yourself my DNA?"

"Yep. We're technically twins now." Leeron giggled rubbing his cheek against Viral's face.

"I will KILL YOU!" howled Viral. He rewrapped the spoon and lunged at the man. Leeron leapt up and began to run, Viral close on his heels.

"Help me! He's trying to spoon me! The commander is a furry sexual deviant!" shouted Leeron as he sped through the canteen.

"I'll furry you, bastard!" roared Viral, firing off a few shots with his pistol.

"He wants to furry me!"

"Godamnit! I'm getting a restraining order on you!"


	13. 8 Fist to the Face!

**TTGL: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter 8: Fist to the Face.

Captain Ichigo Kurosaki stood scowling in the great hall. He had a cold pack strapped to his face, one side of his head visibly swollen from Kamina's right hook. It stung but Ichigo's quick healing was working charms on it.

The other captains were present, the air thick between them, the atmosphere almost palpable. Hitsugaya still looked flustered but the turn of events seemed to have focussed him and strangely took a load off of his mind.

"What should we do about Lieutenant Kamina and his turncoats? I can have my men scouring the countryside for them. Those fools aren't cut out for hiding." voiced Soifon, her steely voice slicing the silence.

Hitsugaya shook his head. "No. Leave them. I had a tough decision to make and Kamina made it for me. Our main concern at this moment is Simon."

"So he's been found?" asked Kenpachi, grinning at the prospect that fact presented. He showed no sign of damage from his battle with Kamina.

"Yes. His Spiral signature flared several hours ago and has yet to dip. He is making his way across the Earth at high speed, presumably in some kind of jet. My our estimation he is heading toward Earth's capital, Kamina City." the head captain revealed. There were a few brief murmurs at the mention of Kamina.

"Why the city though?" Hisagi pondered. "Simon hasn't been in a populated area since he went into self exile."

"That isn't the only problem." Hitsugaya continued. "Reports have just come in from the Twelfth Division that a large source of Spiral energy has entered into the Soul Society. This has no connection to Kamina so we cannot guess at its motives or intentions. I want the Second Division to find and track whoever is the source of this power. Since it is a new soul we can hope that they will have no memories of their past life, but we all know that those with high Spiral power often retain their thoughts and memories."

"What about the rest of us?" queried Renji. He didn't look happy with how things were going.

"We're on high alert. I want everyone prepared for battle should things turn sour. Other than that, there is little to be done at this moment." Hitsugaya sighed. He turned to Captain Unohana. "How is Captain Elric doing?"

The woman smiled softly at them. "Captain Elrick is in a stable condition. Her injuries are serious though and she will be unable to attend to her duties for several weeks. She has yet to regain consciousness."

"So the Thirteenth Division is out of action while several other squads are missing key members." observed Ichigo. His squad had been affected heavily as three of his high seated officers were now missing. "Once again we're stuck just sitting around and waiting for things to fall apart."

Hitsugaya sighed deeply. "I'm afraid so. If there was anything that could be done then I'd do it."

000

A new soul had entered into the Soul Society. His body brimmed with spiral energy but his mind was blank, dazed. The sheer amount of power burned him. He knew that he was suppose to do something important, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember what.

Sparks of life awoke from hibernation within his head. One empty mind was suddenly filled with many consciousness'. Voices yammered to be heard.

"_Belfay_." called the dominant voice. "Listen to us. Can you remember?"

"Remember…what?" asked the man, straining to think. He stumbled through the woods where he had awoken. His brain felt on fire.

"_Your purpose. Why it is you're here_."

"My…purpose. No…"

"_You are one of us. A Meta-Spiral. You were sent to the spirit world to further our goals. We placed our essences within you to remind you of your own memories. To give you more power for your mission._"

Memories started to flood back, clicking sharply into place. "We will bring about the Spiral Blessing."

"_Exactly!_" laughed the voice. "_Now do you remember your objective?_"

Belfay turned his walk into a determined stride. "Yes."

"_Your power has been augmented, its levels adjusted to suit our ends. You carry with you all of our combined strength, use it as you see fit. Accomplish your task by any means possible._"

"Understood." nodded Belfay. "I will capture Kamina and complete our plans."

000

Kamina had managed to catch up with the other Team Dai-Gurren members without trouble. They were gathered on the picturesque hilltop where Nia had first entered into the Soul Society. The area was bright with blooming flowers and cherry blossom petals drifted lazily through in the summer's breeze.

Beside the other men were sacks filled with supplies and parts just as Kamina had ordered. They greeted him, their faces showing a mixture of worry and excitement over a return of the old days.

"There's no going back now so you'd better have a plan." stated Kittan bluntly. He looked miffed at having to leave Rangiku after finally starting to get somewhere but he too was a brawler at heart who loved action just like Kamina.

"Of course I do! Just who the hell do you think I am? I am the mighty Kamina! When have I ever not had a plan?" Kamina boasted proudly.

"Yeah! Punching people in the face works in every situation, right boss?" commented Kidd sarcastically.

Kamina punched him in the face. "Yep. Works like a charm and don't you bozos forget it."

"What is our next move then? We can't stay here for much longer." asked Kittan.

"We're gonna set up base and re-evaluate things. The current situation is to complicated to go in all guns blazing. I hate to say it but one reckless move from us could damn the universe."

This statement sobered up the other Dai-Gurren members. Kamina let it hang in the air for a few seconds to let it fully sink in before continuing. "Over by Moon-Peak Falls there are a series of cliffs. There is a cave in one which I used a few years back to learn to control my hollow powers. It should keep us hidden while we plan."

The others nodded and followed Kamina's lead. It wasn't far but it still involved an hour's walk through dense woods. As they walked, the twins lugging the heavy sacks over their backs, Iraak tried to make conversation.

"I thought you said that your inner hollow had merged with your soul. Why did you need to train to control it then?"

Kamina chose to keep the recent incidents involving the inner hollow to himself. "It did merge with my soul. That didn't mean that I fully understood the powers though. After the battle with Aizen I found it hard to control my powers. I trained to master my own body, not some inner demon."

"Why train so far away then?" added Zorthy.

"Same reason we're going away now. Look at it this way, if there was someone as strong as me who couldn't control his own actions, would you feel safe around them. every time I got angry I subconsciously started firing off cero. By getting away from others, I hid the problem until it was gone." Kamina informed them. He internally shivered at the thought of his hollow gaining control while he was inside the Seireitei. If his last encounter with the beast was anything to go by, not even the combined captain's would be any match for him.

This thought led him to dwell upon that fateful mission. He had defeated one of the four generals of the Spiral King, had travelled through both Hell and Hueco Mundo, beaten Aizen in a fist fight and had destroyed the Anti-Spiral. With all of that in mind, how the hell had a snivelling scientist caused him so much trouble? It made no sense. Captain Elric, an elite squad of shinigami and the hero of epicness all taken out of action by an old Russian man with a gadget fetish. Kamina wasn't willing to believe that he could be conquered so easily…

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Makken stepped up to his side. He would have placed a hand upon Kamina's shoulder if the short man could have reached. "Don't let doubt cloud your thoughts, Kamina." he said in a low voice. "We need to sort all of this out soon. Remember, it won't be long now until Leite and Yoko will be coming here. I couldn't be with her in life, I'll be damned if I cant be with her in death."

The passion of the words coming from the usually passive Makken struck a cord with Kamina. He too knew that feeling all to well. At least Makken had been able to spend time with his girl, to have had kids…

"Don't you worry. When have I ever let you all down? I'll have this mess cleaned up and a party ready and waiting for when the others pass over."

"You really think we can sort this? We're renegade now. No new info, no support and enemies in all directions. For all we know, the other shinigami could be hunting us down as we speak." Kidd voiced his concern.

"Is that any different than when we set off to fight the beastmen? Did that change when you took the fight to the Anti-Spiral? This is just how we roll." Kamina answered with a fiery grin. "We are Team Dai-Gurren: the undefeatable underdogs!"

As always, Kamina's speech was enough to improve moral. Doubts were but to the side and battle lust grew by the second as they looked on to the battles to come. Any problems they faced could be overcome with a fist to the face, Kamina was sure of it.

Shortly after this, the forest suddenly ended, giving way to a system of cliffs that led down to a huge basin. Water tumbled over the edges creating a series of waterfalls that fed the bond that had formed in the bottom of the basin. Trees, vines and an assortment of rare flowers grew from the rocky cliff sides and the water spray made everything sparkle. They had arrived at Moon-Peak Falls.

Kamina led the group down a hidden pathway that snaked its way down the cliffs. It was a big squeeze for Jorgun and Balinbow but they made it to a small entrance behind the biggest of the waterfalls without incident.

Inside was a large chamber that was formed from the rough rock. It was completely bare and had no remarkable features. The light within was hazy, the sun rays having to reflect through the water to illuminate the space. At the back was a large boulder that looked out of place, its colour different from the stone around it.

"Not much to look at, is it?" Zorthy commented as he filled the chamber with a lungful of smoke. "How did you manage to live and train in here?"

Kamina walked across the cave and pushed the boulder, sliding it across the floor as though it was made from foam. The twins attempted to move it together but the rock didn't budge. Kamina now stood beside a steep tunnel that had been covered. He motioned the others to follow. This pathway led to an even larger area that was pitch black until Kamina lit torches on the walls with pinpointed cero blasts.

The place was a wreck. Craters and deep gashes scared every surface while rubble littered the floor in a chaotic jumble. It looked as though the place had contained a full scale war within its walls.

Kidd looked stunned. "Man, what the hell did you do to this place." he breathed.

Kamina shrugged. "You know that I don't try anything without giving it 200%." he answered dismissively.

"Help me clear up some of this mess so we can set up camp." Kamina ordered. A space was cleared and the equipment that had been brought with them was set up. Makken had done a good job choosing the parts while the food supplies took up a massive amount of room. A full corner was dedicated to the sake that they had pilfered.

They settled down to sleep but Kamina could find no peace. He wandered out to lay atop the cliffs and gazed up at the stars in the sky. The sight flooded his mind with memories. Under the watchful eyes of the heavens, sleep finally took hold.

The Dai-Gurren members woke early and set straight to work planning their next move. Their intel was near non-existent but Kamina felt that they were missing key links that could point them in the right direction.

"We need to focus on our last missions. Something about them wasn't right." Kamina told them agitatedly.

"What do you mean?" snorted Kidd. "Some guys got too strong, we were sent in to stop them. Simple."

Kamina shook his head. "No. That strategy makes no sense. All of the targets were isolated souls who weren't particularly powerful when compared with the force we used against them. My target was weak but was researching the artificial production of spiral energy. He knew we were coming though. He had had years to prepare. Vast amounts of money and materials were needed for what he had installed. He was smart but he wasn't rich or well connected."

Kittan frowned. "Now that you mention it, the guy we faced was armed with a spiral weapon but didn't have the level of power to manifest it himself. In all the chaos we never really thought about it. Spiral weapon or not, he was brought down too quickly for us to analyse his techniques and powers."

Kidd, Iraak and Zorthy looked at each other. Their minds worked furiously. Irrak finally spoke. "Only Ichigo fought our target. The guy was super powerful but he couldn't control it. It was like when we first came here and were given a power boost to use bankai before we'd even learned about zanpakuto. The strength was new to him. We just assumed he had pushed himself to new limits to fight against the captain."

"Yeah." added Kidd. "He was tough but he wasn't a fighter. It was kinda weird."

"Makken, Jorgun, Balinbow, you guys notice anything?" questioned Kamina, his energy building with this new information

Makken shook his head. The twins grunted. Kenpachi had taken all of the action for himself.

"That doesn't matter." announced Kamina. "Its still a start. There is something that isn't what it seems going on. We just need to find that connection and then everything else will fall into place."

"Great!" grinned Kidd. "How the hell do we do that?"

Kamina grabbed his shoulders, his passion blaring through his eyes. "We play it smart!" he smirked. He motioned for the others to cluster closer. "We're gonna become detectives. To find the link, we have to check out the scenes of the crimes."

"So we go back to the mission locations to find clues. Then what?" asked Kidd.

"We use the clues to track down the bad guys and punch them in the face!" declared Kamina enthusiastically.

"Smooth." commented Kidd dryly.

Kittan nodded determinedly. "Let's do this then! We'll need extra supplies. Some horses too if we want to get this sorted quickly."

"Now you're talking, buddy!" cheered Kamina. The others were beginning to get pumped too.

"I've got a contact in a nearby village who can get us some mounts." Iraak said to the delight of the group. "I can have us some by this time tomorrow if I set off now." Kamina nodded his assent and the long haired man left the cave.

Kamina motioned for the others to get moving. "Come on you bozos. Get your asses in gear. We've got a lot to get ready."

000

Iraak passed through the lush trees as he made his way toward Odikai Village, where his contact had moved after growing tired of the Seireitei. He'd have all of the things that the group needed for sure, although Iraak was just glad to be active. Sitting around and thinking didn't suit any of them.

He refocused on his path, not wanting to trip on the clustered terrain. Looking ahead he stopped. Ahead of him was a man with a darkest black afro and deathly white skin. His clothes were the simple robes worn by all new souls upon entry of the Soul Society. Black flames seemed to coat his entire body.

Iraak eyed him wearily. He showed no sign of hostility but something about the man wasn't right.

The man held out his hand and Iraak braced himself. Nothing happened. The man remained still for a moment then began to speak. "Spiral resonance does not match. Target traces present. Where is Kamina?" his voice sounded distant, echoed within itself.

"Who are you?" Iraak asked, hand on hilt.

"Answer my question first." persisted them man.

"Like hell I'd tell you!" snapped Iraak angrily. He drew his zanpakuto. Its long, sleek blade glistened in the light. It was the longest Zanpakuto out of the Dai-Gurren group, much to Kamina's annoyance.

"That works for me too." sneered the man. The black flames flared brighter around his hand, forming a pickaxe with a drill pick section. "Are you prepared to dance with death?"

The man swung with lightning fast speed and Iraak blocked. The drill-pick smashed into his blade with the force of a hammer, knocking the brawler into a tree. He quickly recovered and lashed out but the man sidestepped the attack with ease. Iraak released a kido bolt to force his foe backwards but the man destroyed it with his own attack as though the power had been made of glass.

"Damn." Iraak mumbled. "Time to step this up." He released his shikai, the lengthy blade growing even longer, forming into a rapier with a dinosaur head hilt. Small streaks of electricity sparked across the blade.

He drove the blade into the ground causing spires of lightning to crash down around him. With a flick of his wrist he directed them straight at the man. The stranger held up his hand, deflecting the lightning with nothing but his blazing skin. Iraak was right behind the lightning, lunging his blade straight past the man's defences. He bended over backwards matrix style, the blade passing over him harmlessly before he delivered a counter punch to Iraak's gut.

"Your power is just like Lordgenome's. He had energy flames across his body too. Are you some kind of spiral knight too?" wheezed Iraak. Everything seemed to be piecing together.

"You could say that." replied the man. "I am a Meta-Spiral. This is irrelevant at this time though. Now where is Kamina?"

Something clicked. "You had something to do with Simon's disappearance didn't you? Nothing except another spiral warrior could make Simon do anything against his will, and he wouldn't just leave without warning."

The Meta looked impressed. "You're smart. That makes you dangerous." He smashed his pick into a tree. The wood exploded, the splinters ripping into Iraak. He tried to defend himself against the shards, leaving himself open. The Meta pounded Iraak's chest with the top of his weapon. Ribs cracked and he coughed up blood.

Iraak wished he had bankai at this moment. Ever since the Spiral King's power had faded in him he had never been able to re-attain those powers. He was close, they all were, but none had managed yet.

The Meta stepped up to him. "You will prove to be a useful pawn. With you I will take Kamina and create a new universe!"

"Bastard!" spat Iraak. The Meta stomped on his face, reducing the world to black.

000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000

_A/N: Sorry about the long delay guys, hope you're all still with me. _

_Things are gonna step up at this point. I have the second half of this story planned out unlike the first. Its gonna be pretty action packed here on out. The story has been set, now its time for the ass kicking._

_I'm also going to change the omake system. I will keep it at once a week but I want everybody to flood me with suggestions so I am never low on ideas. Anything pops into your head at any time, tell me. Allow me to create all of your Bleach and Gurren Lagann dreams!_

_Hopefully back to normal update times so I'll see you all on Wednesday (England time). Thanks for reading - Please review! Seriously people, it improves my productivity. I write when I'm happy and reviews make me happy. Kamina commands it!_

_(P.S. Hell yeah dudes! Anyone else seen the new artwork for Assassin's Creed 3? If not, check it out my friends. I'm super psyched.)_


	14. Omake VI

**TTGL: Brothers to the End.**

Omake Issue 6: The Curse of Gurren Lagann.

_A/N: Back again and with another omake offering. Hope you all enjoy. Please, please, PLEASE review. I'm nearly half way through the story now and have drizzled down to only one review a chapter. Come on people, I want this story to beat my first one. We need to show support for the more niche fan fiction categories. Any story posted on Naruto or Harry Potter will be swarmed with reviews while Gurren Lagann is rare to hit 100. Don't even get me started on vampire fics… If mine isn't worth a review, go check out some of the main Gurren Lagann stories and show this site that quality programmes beat out quantity based ones. _

_Sorry its so short. I'm going to try shortening the omake to allow more time to write the main chapters. Hope you don't mind. Enjoy._

_000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000_

Gimmy Adai sat inside the cockpit of Lagann, his focus entirely upon tweaking the controls. His well built body left little space within the tiny mecha to manoeuvre himself in.

"Shouldn't you be out enjoying what's left of your youth?" commented an old but strong voice. "I'll take over adjusting everything."

Gimmy looked down to see the aged form of Leite Jokin, former Chief gunman engineer. Her dark blonde hair was now white, her straight posture crooked and her skin now ravished by wrinkles. Despite her age though, she was still one of the best mechanics in th universe. She could still wield a spanner like a pro too.

"It's alright, Leite. I've got nothing better to do." Gimmy replied, his hands continuing to work away.

Leite tutted. "A man of your age should have a woman by now and devote you time to a family. Machines can only take your life so far. I haven't seen you even in the company outside your officers and Darry."

"Yeah. Piloting Gurren Lagann is a full time job. That aside, I think it intimidates people. It's like the Pilot of this mecha has to be some kind of god." answered Gimmy with a sigh.

The mechanic nodded her head slowly. "Ah, the curse of Gurren Lagann strikes again."

For the first time, the ginger haired man stopped his work. He peered down, giving the woman his full attention. "What curse?"

"Think about it. Gurren Lagann is the representation of evolution and the spiral of life yet none of it's pilots have actually furthered humanity, if you catch my drift. Kamina Was killed before he had the chance, Nai, a frequent passenger in Lagann also died before she was able to. Simon never even tried again after Nia's death. Viral is a beastman and can't reproduce while Rossiu is too busy to have kids despite being married to Kinon. Now both you and Darry are unmarried and on the threshold of becoming old. It's like Gurren Lagann takes away its pilots' spiral abilities to fuel itself, converts the ability to reproduce with the skills to destroy."

Gimmy seemed to pale, this information registering in his head for the first time. He visibly re-evaluated his life in a few short seconds.

"On second thought, I'll let you take over, Leite. I think I need a night out." He fumbled around in a chaotic manner, mumbling to himself. "Should I take Lagann? Women love giant mecha, right? Big mecha…maybe Gurren would be better. No, then they might think I'm overcompensating. The core drill…are drills sexy…too many innuendos…damn it!"

Leite watched him with a smile upon her lips. She reminisced on her first date with Makken. Such good times. "Go on. Just take your charm and you'll do fine. Women love heroes, especially kind-hearted ones. Enjoy your life, that is what everyone gave their lives for after all."

"Right!" nodded Gimmy as he leapt from the mecha. He sped off out of the hanger. "See you later, Leite!"

She waved until he was gone, then leant against the gunmen. The light was calling for her but she ignored it. It was true that the old needed to make way for the young, but somebody mature needed to keep an eye on them.

"Not long now my love." she whispered.


	15. 9 Numbered Days

**TTGL: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter 9: Numbered Days.

"Iraak should have been back by now." Kamina stated agitatedly. It had been hours since the man's departure but they has heard nothing from him.

Kittan shrugged. "Maybe he just met a girl or something. You know that he is a self imposed 'gentleman' who would go miles out of his way to help a pretty face."

Kidd shook his head, his face set in a worried expression. "He wouldn't do anything to delay this long when he knows what's at stake."

Kamina stood from his perch on a rock and stretched his long limbs. "We'll go check up on him. Not like we have anything else to do until he's back. If I find him slacking off though I'll strangle him with his own hair. Kidd, you know this village, lead the way."

"On it, boss!" the scrawny man replied. He led them up through the forest northward, stopping every few minutes to check for any signs of Iraak. Other than the occasional footprint in the damp soil that showed he had come this way, they found nothing.

Kidd stopped suddenly and sprinted forward into the trees. The others followed, unsure what had startled the ginger haired fighter. He skidded to a halt beside a long sword that was stabbed into the ground so that it stood vertical. Impaled upon the blade was a single sheet of paper.

"Th-this is Iraak's zanpakuto." Kidd stammered. "He'd never leave it behind." Concern for his brother was clearly written across his features.

Kittan removed the piece of paper and frowned. "Damn!" he growled angrily. "Kamina. I have your friend's life in my hands. If you want to save him, seek me out at Devil's Drop." He swore then screwed up the paper and threw it into the dirt.

Kidd cursed loudly. He traced his hand along the blood that stained the ground around the sword. "We have to go. We have to get Iraak back!"

"It's clearly a trap." grunted Zorthy gruffly. "If Iraak was beaten, that means whoever did it is no pushover either."

"That doesn't matter! We can't just leave him, trap or not!" snapped Kidd.

Kamina pulled the zanpakuto from the ground and held it up to the sky. "Of course we're gonna go get him. Team Dai-Gurren never leaves a man behind! Whoever took him has bitten of more than they can chew for I, the mighty Kamina, accept his challenge! Move out. We put everything on hold until we have Iraak back. Devil's Drop isn't far. We hit fast and we hit hard!"

"That bastard's gonna pay for messing with us!" seethed Kidd.

"Yeah! We smash him and we smash him good!" boomed the twins as they pounded their meaty fists together.

They continued on into the village and acquired the horses that Iraak had promised. Saddled up they made quick progress across the sparse forest lands, covering the ground far quicker than they ever could have hoped. Kamina only led them in the wrong direction once so overall it was an great achievement.

Devil's Drop was an area beside the fast flowing Wrath's River. It was a plateau that separated the forest from the vast cliff that formed one wall of the deep river. Any fall from the cliff meant certain death. The height combined with the monstrous water below and jutting teeth like rocks that stuck out from it had taken many souls throughout the years. It had been a favoured location for death duels until the practice had been banned.

The outlaw shinigami approached the clearing with caution, not wanting to fall foul of any ambush. Kamina being the man that he was though, the second he was confident that the way was clear, he strode brazenly out into the open as though he owned the place. The others followed, looking equally as brave and manly.

Kittan held Kidd back. At the centre of the clearing was a cage that held the battered form of Iraak within. He was breathing but he looked in a bad way. Kidd struggled to run to his brother but he could not break Kittan's steely grip.

Beside the cage stood a deathly pale man with a bushy black afro. He was unarmed and his simple robes looked to hold no secrets. Black flames raged around his body, flooding the air with raw power. He smiled upon seeing Kamina.

"So you came." he said innocently. His face betrayed nothing. "I'm so glad. You are crucial to our plans."

"Who the hell are you?" Kamina asked. Even he could tell that the man had captain level strength.

"It doesn't concern you who I am. All you need to know is that you will change the fate of the universe." responded the man vaguely.

Iraak stirred. He grabbed onto the bars. "He's a Meta-Spiral! He has something to do with Simon's disappearance!" he shouted before coughing up blood.

"How meddlesome of you." the Meta commented. He grabbed the cage with one hand and lifted it clean off of the ground. Shaking it violently, Iraak bounced around the metal like he was inside a washing machine. Then with a flick of his wrist, he hurled the cage off of the edge.

Kittan could no longer hold Kidd back. He broke free of the hold and ran to the cliff edge but it was too late. "Iraak!" he screamed.

"Damn it!" cursed Kamina, already running. He shoved past Kidd and dived over the edge. There was silence, then a splash, then more silence.

Flames shot up back into sight. Kamina rose high into the air, hollow mask on his face and flaming wings on his back. Iraak, was held under his left arm while his zanpakuto was held firmly in his right. He landed back on the plateau, placing Iraak beside Kidd. The mask and wings faded but a burning inferno remained in his eyes. The death glare was directed at the Meta.

"This shit just got real." Kamina growled as he began to stride towards the man. "You can try and kill me as much as you want and I'll welcome the challenge. Throwing my friends off of cliffs though is too far!"

He punched the Meta in the face with all of his inhuman might. The man rocked back, head jerking, neck cracking sickeningly but he remained standing. He smiled devilishly at Kamina, his eyes glowing with bloodlust. Almost casually he grabbed his head and snapped it back into place.

"My turn." the Meta sang. Quick as a flash he darted forward, breaking straight through Kamina's hasty defence and into his jaw with the force to crush a normal man's skull. Kamina flew back, smashing into the ground with bone breaking velocity.

Kittan marched forward, his zanpakuto already in it's skikai mode. He pumped the golden bladed shotgun. "Whadda ya waiting for, you bozo's? get kickin' ass!" he snapped at the other Dai-Gurren members. They didn't need telling twice. All of the charged forward, shikai pre-released.

Jorgun and Balinbow shot their cannons to either side of the Meta, pinning his movements as Kittan slid through his legs, firing his shotgun repeatedly as he passed. The bullets pinged harmlessly off of a spiral shield. Kidd and Zorthy came in from the flanks but without even looking the Meta sidestepped both attacks.

Kamina was back up on his feet by now. He drew Gurren and released it instantly, the shining black shades reflecting his determined face. He muttered a few words and flames spread across its sleek surface. That was about the only good thing that the former Twelfth Division captain had done.

He slashed, replica shades emerging from his blade like quick fire boomerangs. The Meta summoned a spiral pickaxe and deflected the projectiles with deft movements. While he was occupied, Balinbow attacked his back, the massive club cannon descending for the Meta's unguarded head. The Meta stepped to the side, allowing the mace-like zanpakuto to smash impotently into the ground. He kicked out at the bulky twin but Jorgun blocked the attack for his bother.

Kittan rammed his gunsword into the Meta's gut then fired, blowing a huge chunk of flesh away. The Meta staggered then was thrown to the floor as Zorthy smashed a flaming metal gauntlet into his face, setting the afro alight. Defenceless on the ground, the twins pummelled him with their maces.

"That's what happens when you mess with Team Dai-Gurren!" Kidd sneered, kicking the man in the teeth.

The Meta grabbed his foot, snapping his ankle with the force of the grip. Kidd screamed out in pain until he was thrown into the sky, hitting the dirt several seconds later. The man lowly rose to his feet. The black flames burned fiercer around him as flesh began to meld back together. In no time, the Meta stood before them again, completely void of injury.

"Shit!" cursed Kamina. He ran in, no longer holding back. Their blades locked, a struggle of raw power taking place. Zorthy took advantage of the situation and attacked again but the flames raged in an inferno, whipping up right where he sought to wound, charring Zorthy's flesh despite his own fire powers.

Kamina exploded his blade, sending the Meta hurtling into a tree. The force obliterated the trunk, his body continuing through another three before he came to a violent stop. Brushing off the splinters as though he had simply fallen over, the Meta rushed back into the fray, throwing the wood shards like kunai at the shinigami. They too glowed black, obviously imbued with spiral power.

The Dai-Gurren outlaws tried to dodge but the shards altered their directions accordingly. Like heat-seeking rockets they chased the shinigami, gaining on them too quick for comfort. They soon realised running was pointless and turned to face the assault. Kamina threw a dozen shades to combat the shards but as one unit the they pointed toward Iraak and sped like arrows toward him.

Jorgun ran to block them. Half of the projectiles peeled away and darted for Kidd, targeting the prone fighters. Balinbow rushed to his rescue. The twins blocked the attacks easily but were taken by surprise when the weapons exploded. They packed a punch, knocking the two men clean off of their feet.

Kamina turned back to face the Meta but he was gone. He span around to find the man, cursing when he saw him stood over Balinbow. Kamina boosted to try and stop him but the Meta was too quick. He lunged the pickaxe into Balinbow's back before disappearing again.

"We need to come up with a plan to beat this guy quick! We're having our asses kicked!" growled Kittan as he checked the larger man's pulse. Balinbow was still alive, just.

The Meta flashed toward Kittan but Kamina intercepted him, tackling him to the ground. They struggled across the dirt, fists, feet and heads pounding into each other again and again, neither able to gain the upper hand. Kittan stomped over and fired his weapon straight into the Meta's face.

Blood splattered out but hung in the air, frozen like ice. With astounding speed it hardened then lunged forward like spears, spiked tendrils lashing through the air to their target.

Kittan gasped. Six blood shards had embedded themselves into his chest, protruding from his back. He coughed blood with a dazed expression, his mind not yet catching up with events. Without any words he dropped, blood pooling around him.

The Meta healed himself then stood back up. "All of your friends have been defeated. Are you ready to come with me yet or must more pain be instigated?"

Kamina was shuddering with silent rage. The voice in his head telling him to step back and let the hollow take over was growing louder. Kamina pushed it aside, not even wanting to rely on the mask anymore. He held out his sword.

"Bankai!"

The sword flashed, consuming Kamina in a blinding light. Power swelled around him, thick like mud in the air. The light grew dim slowly after several seconds.

The Meta's knowing smirk vanished. Before him stood Kamina but his ragged trousers and bare chest were gone, replaced by shining red armour that covered his entire body. Etched into the knight style armour were the patterns of Kamina's tattoos which shone a dazzling blue as though plasma ran through them. The helmet looked like a crimson steel skull, its visor orange triangular shades. Around him flowed a stunning cape that looked like it belonged to an old king of legend. The large black shades remained in his hand, the flames that surrounded it now burning blue.

"What?" snarled the Meta. "This isn't right. We did our research on you. Your bankai is a giant mecha, the one you used on earth!"

Kamina shrugged, the large plate pauldron baring the Dai-Gurren insignia rising with his shoulders. "You're right. That was my bankai. It was unrefined though, just a mass of raw power taking the shape of what weapon I wanted the most. Soul resonance or something. I've been training to control it, compressing the same amount of power into a less wasteful form. You've volunteered to be its first test dummy."

"It doesn't matter. Your power is still nothing compared to that of the Meta-Spirals!" the man roared, slamming his pickaxe at Kamina's chest. The drill tip hit but glanced off harmlessly.

Kamina returned the favour, his shades cutting at the Meta's defences with lightning like speed. The Meta fought back furiously, visibly strained by the effort for the first time. Kamina's face was unreadable behind the helmet.

Again and again Kamina tore through the Meta's flesh only to watch it instantly heal. The man might have been out powered now but Kamina could do nothing to keep him down. The Meta screamed, his muscles bulging and his pickaxe growing larger. He hit back at Kamina harder than ever, finally forcing the shinigami back a few steps.

"You're mine!" he snarled as a second pickaxe appeared in his spare hand.

"Hell's raging rainstorm of unquenchable destruction!" roared Kamina. He held his hands straight out before him, legs apart, his defence laid wide open. His armour opened up, hundreds of small gaps revealing themselves to the world. Each began to glow.

"Oh shi-"

They all fired, a maelstrom of lasers leaving Kamina's body and ripping into the Meta. Like a torrent of rain the attacks continued, boiling the air between the two combatants. As suddenly as it had started, the gaps closed once again.

The Meta stood swaying. His body was a mess of holes. Unable to support itself, he crumpled to the floor.

_Belfay. You are not giving up yet. He is just as strong as we hoped. Use our powers and capture him quickly._

"Yes." croaked the Meta groggily. Gates within his mind were opened and fresh power flooded his veins, doubling his strength. Even as he forced himself back onto his feet, the holes closed themselves up, rebuilding half of his body like it was nothing.

"No way!" grunted Kamina, not really believing his eyes. "Stay dead when I kill you damn it!"

"The game is over now." stated the Meta, his voice echoing as though more than one voice was speaking.

The Meta threw one of the pickaxes, it growing in side until it was half a mile long, destroying vast swathes of forest as it passed. Unable to dodge, Kamina tried to grab the giant weapon. It hit him, driving him back to the very edge of the cliff. Kamina dug in his feet and was about to halt its progress when it exploded, all of its spiral energy releasing itself with the force of a nuclear bomb.

Kamina lay smouldering at the centre of a vast crater, his armour cracked but still intact. He forced himself to his knees but the Meta drove his second pickaxe into his back. This time the drill point did pierce through, drawing a gush of blood.

Kamina swung has shades but the Meta shattered them with a deft counter strike from a newly reformed secondary pickaxe. An armoured fist struck out but again the Meta caught it, snapping Kamina's arm easily. A few follow up kicks ensured Kamina was flat on the ground again.

"Do you submit?" repeated the Meta smugly.

"Who the hell…do you think I-"

The Meta grabbed Kamina by the throat and lifted him into the air as though he was weightless. He delivered a few punches to Kamina's gut to further his point.

There was a bang and Belfay dropped Kamina suddenly. The Meta staggered, his spine exposed through a mess of blood. Kittan stood behind him, shotgun still smoking. He was pale but managed to limp over to Kamina and together they moved to the edge of the cliff. Belfay was already regenerated.

"Shit!" growled Kamina through laboured breaths. "I'm going to have to go hollow to beat this guy."

"Real men don't rely on bad guys." wheezed Kittan, his eyes locked with Kamina's. "Don't betray yourself to that demon over this bastard. Get outta here. Learn to fight another day."

"What! No way! The mighty Kamina never runs from a fi-"

"Forget that! He's coming! Go!"

The Meta realised what Kittan planned. He started to run. "Don't you dare!"

Kittan stepped up to Kamina. "Kick this guy's ass to protect everyone. Heroes get remembered, legends never die."

"Wait!" Kamina shouted but too late. Even his super fast reaction times couldn't stop Kittan from raising his foot and smashing it into Kamina's chest Sparta style. Unable to resist the force, Kamina was launched backwards of the cliff. He hit a rock then disappeared under the water.

Belfay stopped and closed his eyes. "No life detected. You have disrupted our plans. Now you will pay the ultimate price for you're insolence."

Kittan pumped his shotgun and strode forward. "Bring it on, bitch."

000

There was lots of pain and a spinning motion that completely disoriented the mind. Dimly it registered that most of the body's bones were broken and many organs were ruptured. There was no air at all.

Then there was a glorious intake of breath that hurt as much as it relieved. The constant motion stopped then light broke through the dark haze.

Kamina looked around him blearily. He had been kicked into the river then had been carried by the fast currents, hitting rock after rock until he had finally drifted to one side and beached on a shore. Now it was all he could do to keep breathing.

There was movement in his peripheral vision. He tried to turn his head but couldn't manage it. An orange blur entered into his line of sight, then a sharp pain ripped through his chest, returning him to darkness.

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_A/N: Sorry about yet another delay, writing is not easy when you're feeling down and take a few days off due to illness. Anyway, cool fight scene for you all and a retake of Kamina's bankai after the clumsiness of him having a giant mecha fighting normal sized dudes. Hope it met with your approval. Still needs work I feel, after all, I suck at description and detail._

_I have another kick ass fight scene ready for the next chapter and a special character appearance set to enter in the chapter after that so lots to look forward to. _

_If any of you have any omake suggestions or want to ask any questions then feel free to contact me via review or PM. I will always answer unless you're anonymous. Please review and I hope you all enjoyed. Next chapter is ready so update time next week will be the usual scheduled day._

_-FWF_


	16. Omake VII

**TTGL: Brothers to the End.**

Omake Issue 7: Intellectual Debate.

_A/N: Hey fellow brothers and sisters of Team Dai-Gurren. For this week's omake I'm going to try something new. A lot of you ask me to include certain things or expand upon topics for this story. Many of these things I am unsure of though. I may suck at detail but I like to be able to explain what I write._

_So with this in mind, I would like to open this omake up as a type of forum. I'll include some questions or thoughts that have been troubling me then all of you lovely readers can offer up your thoughts and answers in reviews. This will hopefully spark some debate and the answers given will be put toward the main story._

_As I aim for debate, I would like you readers to be able to assess each others opinions so I might add an answer section at the bottom and update this chapter every time any suggestions come in so if others feel inclined they can comment upon it. I don't know if this idea will work but it would be interesting to find out one way or the other._

_If people wanted the usual funny segment then I'm sorry to disappoint. There will be more funny omakes though so never fear. With that out of the way here it goes:_

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1.) On the topic of Beastmen - I have been asked what happened to the four generals after their deaths. My problem with answering this is I'm not sure whether they would go to the Soul Society. Beastmen where created by Lordgenome (with Mayuri's help through gigai experimentation in my story). This in effect makes them artificial souls. They do not have spiral energy, which is also reitsu in this story, so would not take form outside of their physical bodies. At the same time though, Kon is shown to be in the Soul Society yet he too is an artificial soul.

Would beastmen come to the Soul Society? What do you all think? P.S. Disinclined Guam as he is Lordgenome's equivalent to Boota.

000

2.) Lordgenome's soul - Lordgenome was killed by Simon at the battle for Tepplin. Fact. Then his genes were used to create the Lordgenome super computer. This computer then became the full Lordgenome again during the showdown with the Anti-Spiral.

Lots of people have asked how Lordgenome fits into this story. I have no idea. He dies at Tepplin so would he go straight to the Soul Society at that point? Is his soul actually trapped within the super computer which would explain how he could regenerate himself at the end?

Does the Lordgenome super computer still exist? It did control most of Arc Gurren after all so could the space fairing humans manage without it? Was it completely destroyed along with Lordgenome's regenerated body?

Would he even go to the Soul Society or would he be sent straight to hell because of his numerous crimes?

000

3.) Kamina's relationships - This isn't so much to do with any plot element but my own understanding of the character. Kamina made his 'promise' to Yoko before his death. Would he stay loyal to her despite being dead and gone for a very long time?

We all know that Kamina is a womanizer, as I've portrayed him in this story. But at the same time he is very loyal and will keep his word no matter what. He does love Yoko, but over fifty years unable to see her, would he have had other relationships?

If yes then it plays down his feelings for Yoko, but if no then he has essentially gone his entire life/death being celibate, something that doesn't really fit his image. But is that image just for show, covering up a gentle and caring person deep down?

4.) Inner Hollow - Could Kamina really deal with his inner hollow? Yes, he is badass, takes shit from nobody and will never let himself lose but can he win against himself? Inner hollows play off of the person's own doubts and fears, playing a soul against itself. Kamina must have regrets and his talks with Yoko show that much of his bluster was a simple act to drive Simon forward.

Is he really as in control of himself as we think? Here is an example from a fanfic that I want to write after this series is finished. What would have happened if Simon had been the one who died at the Battle for Dai-Gunzan? Would his brother's death really only push him forward? I personally believe that he would become consumed by rage. Simon got depressed and tried to step into Kamina's shoes but Kamina wouldn't act like that. Nor would he just continue on stoically as though it didn't effect him. He could easily be consumed by rage, at the world for taking everything away from him and at himself for letting it all happen.

His inner hollow is an amplified version of that side of his personality, constantly trying to put him into that state. Could Kamina really keep up the act, even to himself?

000

5.) Balance - this is more down to my own writing style and your thoughts on it. My question is: slow and more developed or quick paced action but less development. Obviously a balance between the two would be best but that is pretty tricky to get right.

My example for this is personified in _TTGL So this is the Heavens_ and _TTGL Brothers to the End_. STITH was slow to get going but had lots of side characters and took the time to set the seen, for example the academy training took several chapters and introduced loads of characters but nothing really happened. BTTE gets into the action pretty quick with Kamina going full hollow and being imprisoned quiet early on but has barely any mention of the shinigami side characters.

So what are your opinions on this? Should I go with straight to the point and get on with the action or would you prefer extra side chapters to focus on other characters?

000

6.) Bankai - In my last story the Dai-Gurren members all used their gunmen as their bankai. I'm not really happy with that and want to develop upon them more. The gunmen bankai have been explained as a soul resonance since they entered the Soul Society and were given the powers for bankai more or less instantly. Hence I can replace them.

This means I need Bankai ideas. All ideas welcome.

000

7.) Nia's Role - We all love the character Nia, her cute derpiness combined with her well developed character making her a likeable person. What is her role though in this story. In the show Gurren Lagann, she takes Kamina's role as a motivator for Simon and an obvious romantic partner for him. She doesn't actually fight though. So in my story, where Simon is not particularly present, what role does she serve. As of yet I've only really used her for some light hearted relief. I want her to be important to the story but until Simon and her can see each other, there isn't much she can do.

Would she fight, after all, she is 3rd seat in the First Division? She hangs out with the other Dai-Gurren members as they are her 'family' but would she have other groups among the shinigami? Would she side with Simon whatever path he went down or would she be willing to oppose him? Would she side with Kamina or the Shinigami if given the choice?

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_A/N: That's it for now. If I think of anything more or if there are any questions that readers would like to raise then I will either update this omake or post a second similar one. It depends how this is received._

_So now I leave it to you. Run with it friends._

_P.S. If anyone is a TvTroper, fancy making a page for this series? I can't work the internets well so all contributions to spread my work is encouraged. If it happens, I'll do something special. Don't know what but I'll come up with something._

_-FWF_


	17. 10 Mine is the drill

**TTGLX: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter 10: Mine is the drill that will pierce the heavens.

Kamina city was full of life, its diverse citizens living their busy little lives. Children played in the parks, people worked, ate and talked, fighting through the rat race like every other day. Humanity was happy and at peace.

The same could not be said within the government building though. Rossiu and has staff were all gathered around a display that was controlled by Leeron. Others rushed through the room in a chaotic bustle.

"So what you're saying is that Simon's spiral signature has reappeared and is heading straight here?" Rossiu asked emotionlessly, his stony features set in a frown. Inside he was worried but couldn't show emotion around his team.

Leeron nodded as his fingers danced across the consol. "It reappeared a short while ago and has been on the move since. Other than a brief detour he has been heading here at an impressive speed. His power is different though, I just can't place it. Other powerful spiral signatures surround him. My guess is that he has some powerful travelling companions."

"Do you have any other information?"

"I'm afraid not. We're just going to have to wait and see." shrugged the scientist. "Although at this rate that shouldn't be long."

000

Simon wandered through the ship, passing the time until they arrived at their target. He had already trained with his new sword to get a good feel for it but had now fallen into the dreaded lull before the action.

The lead Meta-Spiral, Marcus Vale, noticed this. He approached Simon, a knowing smile on his face. "Commander Simon, I have something for you that might pass the boredom."

"Good." grunted Simon. "Any more of this and I'd have to start blowing stuff up."

"Not long now until you can fight like the spiral warrior that you are." Vale smiled. He led Simon through the ship until they came to a door in the private quarters. Vale typed in a code then stood back as the door slid open.

It was a small room beyond with no furniture other than a single bed. Stood beside it was a figure that Simon thought he would never see again. It was a man in an officer's suit with a light covering of fur and a slightly bestial face wearing small shades.

"Boota?" exclaimed Simon.

Vale motioned Simon into the room. "We kept him safe during your transformation. As a present to you, we used some of you're excess energy to trigger his evolution pattern once again. This time we believe it to be permanent."

"Simon!" beamed Boota, his little eyes sparkling. "You're safe. You're looking good too."

"Same. Its good to have you back." said Simon, placing his hand on his companions shoulder.

"It's good to be back." the former pigmole replied.

"I'll need you more than ever over the coming days. You're the only person who has always been there for me."

"I've got your back. Whatever you choose to do, I'll see it through with my life." Boota nodded.

Vale interrupted them with a small cough. "We will be arriving at Kamina City in ten minutes. Do you want a gunman preparing for you?"

"No. I won't need a gunman for this." Simon stated. "I feel like stretching out my muscles a bit."

"As you command." confirmed the Meta-Spiral, a manic grin spreading across his face.

000

The ship landed a short way from the sprawling city. Only Simon and Boota departed. They made their way to the city at a stride, neither paying any attention to their surroundings. The city itself was a marvel to behold, a true feat of humanity. The sights reminded Simon too much of the past, of long ago regrets. The towering government building that had once been Lordgenome's palace and giant gunman. The proud statue of Kamina that had been carved by Simon's own hands. The flowers that graced the once desolate ground, a reminder of Nia's dreams…

They were confronted by two guards as they approached the gates that led into the metropolis. They were on edge, clearly nervous about something.

"Who are you?" asked one of the guards. "What is your business in Kamina City?"

Simon glared at the man. His lips parted to show gleaming teeth. "Who…am I? Who the hell do you think I am! Is this all of the respect that I get! You need a history lesson and the fun thing about history is that it involves lots of violence!" Simon shouted, smashing his fist into the guard's gut. The man doubled over and dropped.

The second guard was about to open fire but was stopped by a shout behind him. Simon looked through the gate to see a group of official looking people heading toward him, headed by Rossiu himself.

By the time Rossiu could catch a glimpse of the men, his stern expression dropped and his swift walk ground to a sudden stop. He stood gaping at Simon through the bars.

"No. This can't be possible. How?" stuttered Rossiu dumbly. His usual composure had already crumbled.

Simon offered him a casual wave. "Long time no see, Mr President."

Rossiu tried to pull himself together. Many of the men around him looked on in confusion, obviously too young to know Simon. "Is it really you, Simon?"

"Who else could I possibly be? Nobody could ever hope to replicate Simon the Digger."

At the mention of that name, every face perked up. Every head turned to him with new found interest.

"Why have you returned here now? You've not shown yourself in nearly fifty years and now you come marching into the capital city looking like you haven't been gone a day. We know you disappeared so where did you go?" Rossiu questioned incessantly.

Simon offered him a smile. "It's all very simple. I've come to get my core drill back. After all, the universe can't change itself."

Rossiu seemed genuinely surprised. "What? Your core drill. That hasn't been yours since the day you gave it to Gimmy. You know more than anybody that you had to give it up or risk creating the Spiral Nemesis."

"Exactly. I made a mistake. Now I've come back to rectify it."

"You can't be serious!" Rossiu said, taking a step back. "That would bring about the end of the universe. We fought against that!"

"It is the birth of new universes. Don't you remember, the old give way for the new, spend their lives to give room for those that follow. The spiral of life and death applies just as fittingly to the universe as to a man." Simon explained, speaking to Rossiu as though he was a child.

"No! This is crazy. I don't know what has happened to you but I won't let you carry out your plans. We will fight you!"

"Sounds fun." laughed Simon. "Shall we begin then?" he asked, drawing his sword and slashing across the gate. Both the gate and the still standing guard were cut in half like simple paper rather than steel and bone.

Rossiu and his entourage turned and ran, signalling all the guards in the area to engage. Hails of bullets fired at Simon as he stepped over the ruined gate. The rounds merely disintegrated against a faint green bubble that surrounded him. Boota remained behind him, shielded by Simon's spiral barrier.

Simon shot forward, slicing up guards left, right and centre. Boota darted away as all attention was on Simon and powered through a group of armed men. His animalistic strength made him more than a match for the men, his clawed hands and super human speed, power and reflexes making him unstoppable in melee.

Soldiers filed into the plaza carrying rockets and more advanced weaponry. Simon laughed in their faces. A missile flew at him but with quick movements he swung it around and threw it back at it's firer. The Spiral rounds were more effective against his shields but his speed ensured that they didn't pose a problem.

Civilians ran screaming, completely unused to battle. There was no order. Simon was disappointed by the display. He'd lost so much for these fools.

The building beside him exploded, nearly knocking him over with the force of the flames. He glanced up to see a squadron of Grapearls flying toward him, Gurren Lagann leading them into the fight. Simon couldn't help but smile broadly at the sight of the mecha.

"Simon, surrender yourself." came a voice that Simon vaguely associated with that of Gimmy. "We have full authorisation from President Rossiu to destroy you should you resist."

Simon nonchalantly stepped up to Boota. "Twenty one mecha. I'll go in fist, you take whatever I miss."

He bent his knees then sprang up into the sky, spiral energy pushing him forward. Rocketing toward the first grapearl, Simon angled his katana straight ahead of him. It began to glow green with spiral energy. Without slowing he hit the first mecha. The blade ripped straight through the machine's chest, skewering the pilot and exiting through the back. Simon passed through the hole then was further propelled up by the ensuing explosion.

The second tried to move away from him but Simon manage to grab its foot. No amount of shaking could throw him off. He clambered up its leg them move up its back. Smashing his fist through the armour he tore out a handful of wires that gut the power to the grapearl. Its lights dimmed and its thrusters cut out, falling back to earth without control.

Laser beams from the grapearls' guns zipped toward him, each easily as big as Simon's entire body. His sword cleaved through them like butter, making a complete mockery of the super weapons.

Boota had sprinted into one of the many nearby skyscrapers and had taken to the stairs on all four limbs. One hundred flights later and the emerged on the roof of the structure. Simon and the grapearl were visible just below. Without hesitation he bounded over the railings and freefell onto the shoulder of one of the mecha. With straining muscles he began to rip metal away from its head, carving a hole that he could climb into to reach the important insides.

Simon was falling again now. He angled himself to hit one of the buildings sides and used it to launch himself across the clearing to repeat the process on the opposite building until he had zig-zagged himself back into the action.

A spinning sound behind him caught his ears so he turned in time to dodge a drill attack from Gurren Lagann. Another grapearl swooped at him but Simon swung his sword, a rippling wave of green energy emerging from the metal to tear through the mecha's armour.

"Give it up Simon! You can't holdout forever. Reinforcements are on their way as we speak. Nobody can fight our entire army!" shouted Gimmy, clearly trying to reason with the former commander.

Simon snorted. "You're underestimating me."

Darry's softer voice spoke next. "We have to stop you. Sorry, Simone. You've forced us to do this."

Gurren Lagann raised up its arm and the signature drill formed upon its forearm, growing by the second. "Giga drill break!" the sibling pilots roared out.

"You really believe that using my own attack will work against me?" scoffed Simon. "Just how dumb are you!" he bellowed. Metal started to form around his own arm until he too held a miniature version of the giga drill.

The two drills clashed and struggled against each other, their varying sizes not impacting upon the power they exerted. Then with a crack, Gurren Lagann's weapon shattered like glass. It reformed and attacked again but was this time cloven in two by the katana. The mecha had no time to react before Simon was inside its defence and wedging his giga blood drill into the teeth of Gurren.

Another grapearl tried to remove him from its leader but Boota leapt onto its face and began to lay waste to it with his claws. The remaining mecha couldn't shoot when the enemy were so close to their companions. Their numbers were rendered useless.

Gurren Lagann's armour was tougher than the average mecha but against Simon's onslaught it was only a matter of time. Drills emerged from its armour as an extra layer of defence but even they did little to delay the spiral warrior.

Simon's drill finally pierced the metal, causing a pained female scream from within. Thrusting his sword into the gap he sliced away more teeth until Darry was visible. She was clutching her side, blood pouring from the wound without signs of slowing. Simon stabbed his katana through her shoulder and leaned inside.

He was violently knocked away from behind. Lagann had detached itself and had come to the woman's aid. Simon could just imagine the fire in Gimmy's eyes at that very moment. The mini mecha came at him again, twin drills baying out for Simon's blood. He blocked both with his blade, easily matching the machine's strength.

"You'll pay for this Simon!" roared Gimmy. "Tyrants are always overthrown. You taught me that!"

Simon laughed. "Maybe while I was at it I should of taught you how to fight!"

He span away from the drills and smashed the sword at Lagann's head. The metal was too tough though even for the spiral enforced blade and the weapon bounced away uselessly, loosening itself from Simon's grasp and hurtling to the streets below.

Simon paid now heed to this though. He slammed his fist into Lagann's face, the impact visibly shaking the entire gunman. Like a pro boxer Simon let rip, pounding the face with all his force. The impacts did little to damage the mecha but they shook the pilot violently, each punch feeling like a car crash within the small confines of the gunman.

The attacks stopped momentarily. Simon's right arm began to glow with green energy. He held out his open palm and slammed it into Lagann's roof. The energy rippled through the machine, damaging several internal components. The canopy flicked open.

Simon reached inside and grabbed a bloody Gimmy by the throat. He pulled the man out of the machine. With a final burst of energy Gimmy lunged the core drill at Simon's chest but he swatted it aside without effort.

"I've told you, you can't beat me with my own moves. Did you really think I would allow myself to die in the same manner that I killed Lordgenome?" scolded Simon. He grabbed the core drill and took it from Gimmy's hand. "Remember. Mine is the drill that will pierce the heavens. It all makes sense now. I will pierce the heavens, tear them down and let them crumble to make way for new ones. I have a purpose once again."

He threw Gimmy to the floor with contempt and hopped into Lagann. Nostalgia hit him like a tidal wave, the familiar layout and feel of the gunman feeling like an extension of his own body. He inserted the core drill and felt the power flow through him, the green light bathing his skin.

Lagann moved at his command like the two had never been parted. He turned the gunman on Gimmy, his drills already spinning. There was a white flash then Gimmy was gone. Simon whipped around and a grin formed across his features. Before him was a tall, white gunman with four arms. Both Gimmy and Darry were held in its hands.

"Viral." he laughed, cracking his knuckles. "Long time no see."

"How the mighty have fallen." sneered Viral. He placed the siblings on the ground behind him and drew four swords. "I've been waiting for this opportunity for sixty years."

Simon directed Lagann to the prone figure of Gurren and combined them together. Viral just stood by, waiting for the process to be completed. "Sixty years is a long time to get your ass kicked by every opponent you've ever had. I'd have looked forward to it too if you could actually fight. Bro won you, I've won you and Gimmy and Darry won you. Not a lot of victories to your name are there?"

"Shut your mouth!" snapped Viral angrily. "I've been fighting on the front lines all the time since you left. My skills have increased tenfold since the last time we fought."

"So…you can last more than one hit now?" chided Simon smugly.

"We'll see who's smiling soon!" snarled Viral, launching into the attack. His four blades lashed out in a flurry of slashes that would have reduced any other mecha to ribbons. Gurren Lagann parried them all with its wrist drills.

Enkidu released a barrage of missiles from its side that smashed into the crimson gunman with fiery explosions. They did little more than rock the mighty machine. Before the smoke had cleared, the four blades were at it again, swinging with more vigour than ever before. Viral's mastery with his swords was nearly unmatched.

Simon began to laugh manically, Gurren Lagann's defences dropping away. Viral struck, driving home all of his weapons into Gurren's face and arms, pinning the machines movements. The laughing didn't subside.

"Snap." boomed Simon. Viral realised too late the trap he had fallen into. He tried to pull free the blades but they wouldn't budge. Gurren's mouth opened and a giga drill plunged out of it into Enkidu's centre of mass. Viral screamed as the drill ripped through his immortal body.

"Let's see you stand up from that." Simon chuckled darkly. "Still nothing but a weakling."

"You bastard!" roared Viral, fury taking over his ragged body. He might not have had spiral energy but he had fighting spirit by the barrel load. Enkidu struggled to its feet and swung again at Gurren Lagann. The mecha kicked the weapons aside with ease. Enkidu didn't stop though, lunging straight in and tackling Gurren Lagann to the ground.

Hundreds of drills shot up from the crimson gunman, skewering Enkidu with each. They retracted and Gurren Lagann slid the now useless white mecha off of it.

"You missed." coughed Viral shakily. His voice was pained but defiant.

Simon snorted. "I hit where I aimed. Watching you try in vain to get stronger amuses me. It is so much crueller to let you live with the knowledge that you will always be weak. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I'll kill you!" howled the beastman but he could no longer move.

Gurren Lagann turned its back on the wreckage. "Step one completed. Now to take the Arc Gurren."

A voice echoed into his head. "Your personal battleship has already been cleared. It awaits your command." Vale's voice informed him.

Boota hopped onto Gurren's shoulder. Simon opened its cockpit and allowed his friend to enter. "Are you ready to take to the Heavens?" he asked with a grin. Boota nodded. "Then let's get going. Onward to a new tomorrow!"

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_A/N: Yay, Simon super fight scene with mecha and Gurren Lagann characters galore! I quiet enjoyed writing this. Super strong bad boy Simon is pretty fun to portray. Hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it._

_Also, You may have noticed a small change to the names of this series. I am rebranding them as TTGLX to differentiate its name from the show. This way my stories can be referred to without confusing them with Gurren Lagann. _

_On a side note, people were very unreceptive of the 'interactive' omake. Shame. So much for involving the community…_

_Regardless, enjoy you week one and all!_

_-FWF_


	18. Omake VIII

**TTGLX: Brothers to the End.**

Omake Issue 8: Meeting the Family.

_A/N: Hey all. This omake is dedicated to WingedHero540. Enjoy._

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Kittan walked reluctantly through the streets of the Seireitei, his back stooped, head down and hands fidgeting restlessly. He took a deep breath to try and calm himself. He knew that he might not survive the day, and if he did then he may not be the same man as when he had woken in the morning. It was a dreaded task before him that made fighting the Anti-Spirals seem like a pleasant stroll through the park.

He was attending a quadruple date dinner evening.

The thought sent a shiver down his spine. He cursed his own kindness. It had all begun when Kidd had decided to ask Ichigo's youngest sister Yuzu out on a date. He had broken down to nerves immediately afterwards and begged Kittan to go too with Rangiku. Kittan had relented and given his word.

The first kick in the balls came when it turned out that Yuzu had also gone and begged for company, roping her older sister Karin into the mess. Karin had brought her partner, non other than Head Captain Hitsugaya.

Seeing an opportunity for chaos, Rangiku had invited Orihime, fully knowing that the orange haired medic would persuade Captain Ichigo Kurosaki himself to attend.

So now Kittan found himself dressed up in a restricting 'pretty boy' suit, walking to a fancy restaurant at the side of two of his bosses. It was also a well known fact at how protective Ichigo was of his sisters. One wrong move from Kidd and they were dead.

The only plus side of the whole sorry affair was the ravishingly beautiful woman that clung to his muscular arm. Rangiku wore a dazzling red dress that clung to her shapely form perfectly. She had a large grin on her face and purred happily at the chaos she had instigated.

Ichigo walked glumly beside Kittan, looking equally ill at ease in a suit. Orihime skipped excitedly at his side, a flowing emerald gown adorning her. Hitsugaya looked smart in his suit but his face looked as though he were contemplating suicide rather than go through with the night. Karin in a sleek black dress was more or less pulling him forward. Kidd and Yuzu walked beside each other in an awkward fashion, trying hard to avoid each others eyes. Kittan smacked him in the head sullenly. If he had to suffer through this night, Kidd could at least make an effort to ensure that their sacrifice wasn't in vain.

The restaurant in question was far too fancy for Kittan's liking. Too much white and gold. Too little food on a plate despite paying frightening amounts of money. It was the kind of place where you were given more cutlery than peas.

The group was allowed in instantly, Hitsugaya's cold glare enough to stop any of the usual delays. A very nervous waiter led them to a large table then quickly retreated into the kitchen.

Kittan picked up a menu and tried fruitlessly to read it. "Why the hell do fancy menus always use French?" he grunted angrily to himself. "I can't read god damn French. I hope the prices are written in binary rather than normal currency as there are way too many zeros for my liking."

"Cheer up." pouted Rangiku mockingly. "After all, you're treating me so I'll have to make it up to you afterwards." she whispered.

Kittan's ears perked up. He coughed, unable to breath properly for a moment. He sat up straighter in his chair and put on an air of enjoyment. Ichigo and Hitsugaya gave him funny looks but he ignored them. Life was suddenly looking good.

Ichigo kept darting Kidd murderous looks as they waited for the food to arrive. The poor man looked terrified but as a member of Team Dai-Gurren, Kittan was sure that Kidd could resist the urge to run for his life.

The food turned up and Kittan had finished it in about five seconds. It tasted good despite its small size. Nobody had snapped yet. Kittan had no idea why he had been so worried. He stood up to excuse himself, moving toward the toilets. As he walked past Karin he accidentally stood on the edge of her dress. His shoe caught in a slight fold and as he took another step forward he pulled at the dress, dragging it down by a hand's width.

Karin screamed as the dress descended, moving quickly to cover herself up. It took Kittan a few seconds to work out what had happened as he stared blankly at her.

Hitsugaya surged to his feet. "You'll pay for that, Kittan! You damn pervert!"

"What? No! That was an accident. I would never do that on purpose!" Kittan yelled in defence. She's not my type anyway. I'm with Rangiku. I only have eyes for women with that certain something…"

He thought about this statement even as he said it aloud. He compared the two women's chests. That statement could easily be taken the wrong way. But no, they were all adults here. Two captains no less. They would never mix his words up so badly…

Ichigo rose too now. "You insulting my sister's body shape? You bastard."

_Shit._

"No! I, err, err, no! I wouldn't try that with Orihime either!" Kittan tried.

Ichigo's eyes burned. "What's wrong with Orihime? You wanna say something then say it to my face, punk!"

_Ohshitohshitohshit._

Kittan backed away as Hitsugaya and Ichigo advanced toward him, murder in their eyes. The fact that they didn't have their zanpakuto didn't comfort him at all.

"Cake is here!" sang out a smiling waiter as he stepped unknowingly between the three men with a clothed trolley that held a large cake. He opened his eyes and saw his current predicament. His face went from happy to wishing he'd never been born in less than a second. He ran away crying.

Ichigo pushed the trolley aside so to clear the path to Kittan. It drifted over to the table where the women had gathered to watch.

Suddenly the cake exploded, showering everyone with cream. Kamina jumped from the dessert and grabbed hold of the clustered woman. Whipping the cloth from the trolley, he revealed a rocket attached to its rear. He pulled the women onto it.

"I'm in your cake, stealing your women." he laughed as he kicked the rocket into life. It roared and fired the trolley straight through a wall and into the streets of the Seireitei.

All four men stood dumbly in the wrecked restaurant, covered in cake.

"What the **** just happened?"

"I believe that is what they call an overkill cockblock." nodded a waiter sagely. Hitsugaya froze him solid.

"Is capitol punishment still legal here?" Ichigo asked, his eye twitching.

"It is now." growled Hitsugaya.

Kittan and Kidd shared a look. In a heartbeat they had turned and ran before the captains could return their hatred to the Dai-Gurren members. Maybe Kamina would give Rangiku and Yuzu back if they asked nicely…


	19. 11 Ooh Hell Yeah

**TTGLX: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter 11: Ooh hell yeah!

Kamina awoke suddenly, blinding pain ripping through his body. He heard a loud curse beside him, the voice not one that he recognised. Struggling, he tried to sit up but only inflicted more pain upon his body.

"Sorry about that." apologised the voice.

Kamina turned his head slightly to see the figure sat at his side. His neck wouldn't turn far enough to see. Instead he glanced at his surroundings, taking in wooden walls and roof. He must be inside. He racked his memories but couldn't piece anything together. The last thing he remembered was getting his ass handed to him by that damned Meta-Spiral and then being kicked off of the cliff and hitting the rocky water far below.

"You're one lucky guy." commented the voice. It was a man's. "The injuries you've sustained would have killed any other men. If the battering hadn't killed them, my attempts at healing them certainly would have." he chuckled.

Taking a deep breath and bracing his muscles, Kamina managed to prop himself up on his elbows. The man was in his view now.

He wore a long coat of bright orange with black flame patterns at the bottom. White trousers covered his legs while a zip up black jumper covered his chest and arms. A mess of mid-length blonde hair sat atop his head, separated from his whiskered face by a black forehead protector that's loose ends descended down his back. Piercing blue eyes met with Kamina's crimson ones.

"Who are you?" groaned Kamina. "And where the hell am I?"

"You're safe here. It might not be much but I call it home." answered the man. "As for me, I'm just a sage hermit, passing his days out here alone. You on the other hand, are very well known. Blue hair, blue tattoos, red eyes. Your reputation proceeds you, Lieutenant Kamina."

Kamina couldn't help but grin at the spread of his own reputation. Something didn't sit with him though. The person before him was familiar somehow. If only he wasn't so terrible with remembering faces.

The man interrupted his thoughts. "I'm surprised though. Who could you have been fighting to do you over so badly?"

"Screw you!" snapped Kamina testily. "I had that son of a bitch! He just powered up and took me by surprise at the last second, that's all!"

"That's still no small accomplishment." commented the man. "I'm kinda out of the loop here. What's going off to cause so much trouble?"

"A race called the Meta-Spirals are trying to destroy the universe. They've already captured my bro and now they want me." Kamina grunted. He forced himself into a sitting position. From this new position, something clicked.

"I knew I recognised your face!" he cried out suddenly. "You were in one of the books back at the academy. An ex-captain!"

The man sighed. "Well, no point denying it now. Yeah, I'm an ex-captain. The name's Naruto Uzomaki."

"I know about you then. You were thought to be one of the strongest warriors to ever live!" exclaimed Kamina. "What the hell you doing hiding away out here? So many times with needed strong fighters like you!"

"You wouldn't understand. You're still young. I was the same back in my youth." grinned Naruto, skirting around the question. "I don't fight anymore. That's all you need to know."

"That's bullshit!" Kamina shouted. He struggled for a moment then pulled himself to his feet. Naruto held up his hands, warning the younger man against sudden movements. Kamina ignored him.

"So many people have died, just while I've been here! How many of those could you have saved?"

Naruto shook his head. "It was killing people that made me stop. Battle involves death, its inevitable. To save your friends you sometimes have no choice but to kill your enemies. Those enemies had friends too who will seek revenge. Its all just one long wheel of hate and death. I tried to find a way to break that cycle. I'm still trying."

"That doesn't explain why you're out here rather than back in the Seireitei."

"You really want to know? Fine, I'll tell you. During my life I aspired to become the strongest and create peace for all. My only other goal was to bring back a friend to the light. Our entire lives we fought each other and I never gave up trying to make him see sense. I reached my dream of becoming Hokage but it still wasn't enough."

"Then when we died the cycle continued. It got to the point where he was killing so many innocent people that redemption was no longer possible. I had no choice but to stop him once and for all. By killing him, I killed a piece of myself. The pain of loosing a friend, someone I looked upon as my brother, it hurt. Knowing it was your own hands that ended his life, that's even worse."

Kamina remained quiet. He thought on how he would react if he had been forced to fight Simon, if he had had to kill him. Would he do it? Could he continue with life if he did? He shook his head. It didn't bear thinking about.

"I don't know how much you know but unless I beat this Meta guy then the universe could end. If it's all the same to you, I haven't given up on fighting so I need to get back on my feet and be fighting fit real quick." Kamina grunted determinedly as he flexed his muscles.

Naruto clicked his tongue. "The toads tell me that you don't stand a chance."

"What?" snapped Kamina. He looked beside the man and a series of small toads sat around him. On closer inspection the room was filled with them.

"A few of them saw the fight. They say that you aren't strong enough to beat him while at full health, let alone like you are now." Naruto informed him.

"Screw the toads! I'm not gonna be called weak by a little warty bastard! I'll beat him. If my sword can't cut him then I'll punch him to death. If he cuts off my arms than I'll break his bones with my forehead! I will win!"

Naruto chuckled at the words, causing Kamina's anger to bubble. The blonde haired man held up his hands, indicating no offence was meant. "You sound just like I did. You have a good heart. Let me ask, who was your master? Who trained you?"

Kamina gave him a blank look. "My master? Nobody. My dad taught me to fight and never give up. The academy taught me to use my shinigami powers and Captain Ichigo Kurosaki showed me how to control my inner hollow. Everything else I learned myself."

"Hmm." Naruto mused. "How would you like to become my student? I may not fight anymore, but that doesn't stop me from passing on my abilities. I like you. I feel you'll put the powers to good use."

Kamina snorted. "What could you teach me that would be any use? I already know as much as any captain."

Naruto stood up and rolled his shoulders. "I can wipe out an army in a single second. I can kill any opponent before they can even blink. I can do all of this without producing any excess spiral energy."

This sparked Kamina's interest. "How can you be that powerful without massive spiral energy?"

"I never used to be. It was only when the Spiral Nemesis became known a few decades ago that I set to work creating new, spiral friendly attacks." he held out his hand and air began to spin until a sphere of spinning energy sat in his hand.

"This is the rasengan. It used to be formed by channelling pure chakra, or spiral energy as we now know it is called, and compressing it into a constantly spinning ball. When it was revealed this was bad for the universe I altered the technique so that you draw excess spiral energy from the air around you instead of from within. You for example are constantly bleeding out power which I can use to create one."

Kamina shrugged. "It's pretty cool but how powerful is it. Some weakass attack is no use to me."

Naruto stood up and left the building. Stiffly Kamina followed. Once outside, Naruto picked a tree at random and smashed the energy ball into the trunk. The wood turned into a mist of splinters in less than a heartbeat. Kamina whistled at the devastation, his eyes sparkling.

"Strong enough for ya?" inquired the man with a sly smile.

"Ooh hell yeah!" grinned Kamina madly. He cracked his fingers and jumped on the spot. "Where do I sign up?"

Naruto nodded. "We have little time though if you wish to stop these Meta-Spirals. I'll give you a week. I will teach you three techniques to learn in that time. First, we will start with the first technique I ever mastered and my favourite: shadow clones."

"Clones…" smiled Kamina dumbly. He imagined hundreds of Kaminas running around the Seireitei at his bidding. The fantasy caused him to salivate. The beautiful chaos he could create. The women he could please…

Naruto waved a hand across his face to snap him back into reality. "It is a difficult technique that involves lots of power. If you were to use your own power then you could produce hundreds. By using free floating spiral energy you will only likely be able to create one or two."

"First you need to learn the hand signs that will help you to channel the energy." Naruto began, to make shapes with his hands, demonstrating the signs needed. It looked simple enough.

Kamina tried them and after a few minutes had the signs committed to memory. He felt no change as he performed them though.

"Now you must gather the required spiral energy. Imagine your hands are magnets that draw spiral energy from the air. Try to gather the energy around your hands like a glove of power. Concentrate and you should feel the slight movements of power around you."

Kamina did as instructed. At his maximum concentration he could feel the air move slightly but very little spiral enegy attached itself to his hands.

"It is easier to get the power from within so don't be disheartened. It took me a while to learn it and I train quicker than you could imagine." Naruto encouraged him.

For the rest of the day and through the night Kamina tried to gather the energy around his hands. He didn't rest once. A shout of triumph alerted Naruto early the next day that he had finally succeeded. He left his hut to find Kamina stood with glowing blue hands. He looked on the verge of passing out but his joy at the victory was clear.

"Now you need to use the hand signs I taught you. As you perform them, give shape to the energy in your hands. Force it into a human form. Think of nothing except for the jutsu." commanded Naruto.

Kamina complied. He stood shaking for a few moments, the strain clear on is face. Then there was a puff of smoke. When it cleared, two Kamina stood before Naruto. Kamina grinned at himself, inspecting his handiwork proudly.

"Handsome fellow ain't he? No wonder people can't help but to worship me."

"Just remember that you need to be able to do that instantly in the heat of battle. Spending hours or even minutes gathering the necessary power just isn't going to cut it. On the bright side though, anything your clone learns will be passed onto you when you release it. With that in mind, both of you get to work producing more."

Another hour went by before the real Kamina produced another clone. Thirty minutes after that his clone managed the same feat.

Naruto nodded, satisfied with the progress. "Right, now release them by using this sign and drawing the energy back to yourself." he watched as the three clones disappeared. Kamina collapsed, clutching his head. "Yeah, that tends to happen at first. After a few times it won't happen any more."

The blonde haired man gave Kamina a break, giving him a meal of forest berries and a spit roasted duck. After eating, Kamina tried the technique again, managing a clone in only twenty minutes this time. It was still not good enough though.

Kamina snapped at him. "It's not my fault that your technique is so damn slow. How fast can you manage a clone then, you whiskered bastard."

Naruto made the signs and in a second Kamina couldn't see the surrounding trees for a thousand Narutos had just appeared in the clearing. A second later, each one of them held a rasengan in their hands.

Kamina was dumbstruck. Without another word he returned to his training, redoubling his efforts with a new found determination. Clones made clones creating a slowly building chain of Kaminas. As the sun began to dip, Kamina released them, tanking the ensuing migraine that wrecked his brain.

"You think you can pull it of yet?" Naruto asked. Kamina nodded. "Good, cos you're not getting anymore food until you can."

True to his word, when Kamina tried his hands began to glow instantly. He made the signs and his clone appeared on cue. Both shared the same cocky smirk.

Naruto summoned two clones and signalled them forward. They charged at the twin brawlers, one attacking high, the other low. The true Kamina jumped and ducked at the same time, curling into a ball as the two clones swooped past him. His clone caught him and threw him at the blonde ninjas. They dodged easily but were instantly under assault by the second Kamina as the first recovered.

One Naruto struck the Kamina clone hard in its chest, causing it to burst. No sooner had it turned to smoke though had it reformed around Naruto's arm. The real Kamina was stood nearby making hand seals, reforming his clone before it had fully vanished. The Naruto was pinned, its arm stuck within the other clone's chest. The Kamina clone, dubbed Klone within Kamina's mind, slammed his head into the Naruto. Both of them vanished in a burst of smoke.

Through the smoke rocketed Kamina. He punched at the remaining clone but missed. Not that it mattered though. He span around and fired a cero into the clone's face. It too disappeared.

"Not bad." Naruto chuckled. He threw Kamina a chicken leg. "Eat up then get some sleep. You won't learn anything if you're tired."

The next day Kamina rose early and sparred with his clone until Naruto joined him.

"You ready for the second technique? It is probably harder to control than a simple shadow clone." said Naruto between gulps of ramen that he was shovelling into his mouth.

"Of course I'm ready. Just who the hell do you think I am? Am I gonna get to learn that exploding ball?"

"I don't trust you with the exploding ball." sighed Naruto, much to Kamina's annoyance. "No. Today you're going to learn how to move very fast."

Kamina frowned. "I already know that. It's the basics. All shinigami know shunpo. The flash step."

Naruto suddenly vanished. A second later he appeared behind Kamina with Hitsugaya's zanpakuto in his hand. Kamina stared at it as though it were some kind of alien artefact. Naruto flashed from sight again and was back in a blink holding a gadget that Kamina recognised as belonging to the Twelfth Division. He went again and returned empty handed

"How does your shunpo compare to that then?" the ex-captain smirked.

"That's not fast moving. To cover that distance in that kind of time you'd have to be teleporting." Kamina complained. To cover that distance with flash-step would take several minutes, not a split second.

"Well observed." complimented Naruto. "My dad developed the technique a long time ago. He was renown as the Yellow Flash. The technique allows faster than light travel. The process is simple but hard to explain and harder to put into practice."

"Shunpo works on the basis of boosting your movements with spiral energy. This teleportation requires the user to convert their physical body into spiral energy for seamless movement. As well as creating super fast travel, it also means that you cannot be hit during it unlike with shunpo where you are vulnerable to attack."

"And how the hell am I suppose to turn myself into energy? Not even the captains know how to do it. Hmm, this might give me the edge I need to finally win Kenpachi. Let's do this! Do I just try really hard like everything else I've ever tried?"

Naruto thought for a moment. "Yeah, pretty much. It sounds a lot simpler when you put it like that. Keep in mind though that you were energy for a while during the Super Tengen Toppa battle."

"I had kinda died just before that and forced myself into the human world instead of oblivion."

"True, but you know what it feels like, what you need to aim toward."

"Be one with the force." muttered Kamina sagely to himself. "Become the energy. My fiery spirit will break through the bonds of flesh and engulf both the earth and the heavens. My passion will burn so brightly that even the gods themselves will take note of me! Who the hell do you think I am!"

Blue flames of power surrounded him but his body was still visible. He willed his power to be released down to a cellular level. Naruto grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to stop.

"All you're doing is releasing power. Your body isn't changing. Creating energy and becoming energy are completely different. Draw the energy to your core rather than expelling it all into the air. Let the power burn inside you rather than around you." Naruto advised.

Kamina tried again and felt the power welling up within him. It was painful and made him feel bloated. He felt as though he was drinking ten gallons of chilli source.

"It's working!" exclaimed Naruto. "Think of a destination then flash-step there."

The first thought to enter Kamina's mind was the academy. He attempted a shunpo and felt the world move around him. His eyes refocused upon the stunned face of Captain Hisagi. The man's mouth hung open and his eyes were wide.

"What the-" started the tattooed captain.

Kamina cursed. "Err…This is a figment of your imagination. You are feeling very sleepy…" Kamina punched him. When the captain's eyes re-opened, Kamina was gone. The class of students that had been sat behind Kamina stared blankly at the spot where the blue haired man had been stood.

"Captain? What the hell just happened?" asked one of them.

"Don't question it. Trying to work it out will only lead to a headache." Hisagi sighed as he rubbed the spot Kamina had hit.

Kamina reappeared in front of Naruto, his face the very image of excitement. "This is the coolest move ever. Women's shower block here I come. Any chance of an invisibility technique?"

"Focus." snapped Naruto as he tried to suppress a smile. This man was so similar to Jiraiya in certain aspects that it was unreal. The fact that this young man reminded Naruto of his former master told him all that he needed to know when it came to trusting him.

"You are ready for the ultimate technique now. I will teach you the rasengan."

Kamina's eyes lit up. Any thoughts of women were pushed from his head by the promise of mass destruction. "About time!" he beamed.

Naruto threw him a water balloon. "Start with this. Use your energy to swirl the water without bursting the balloon."

"Easy!" stated Kamina eagerly. He began to prod the balloon with his energy. The balloon imploded.

Naruto face-palmed. "I'll start filling up more balloons."

The next two days were spent just trying to keep balloons intact. A subtle touch was definitely not Kamina's strong point. No amount of trying could control his raw levels of power.

It wasn't until the fifth day of Kamina's training that he managed to figure out how to cap the energy at his fingertips. The water within the balloon span in a perfect sphere for a few seconds before spiking, bursting the rubber casing.

"Damn it!" he roared, frustrated at his own inabilities. "I only have two days left and I'm getting nowhere!"

Naruto rubbed his chin distractedly. "Maybe this method is wrong for you. Ditch the balloons, I have a new plan. Just do what feels natural to you. Remember to draw energy to you."

Kamina cleared his mind and concentrated. Like with the shadow clones he drew in the energy around him, placing it all in the palm of his hand. His fingers moved around the energy, trying to form it against its will. The visible power currents bulged and surged unnaturally but then began to gain a pattern to its movements.

At first Naruto looked completely amazed. A massive grin quickly spread across his whiskered face. His blue eyes took in every detail of the thing in Kamina's hand.

"Why won't it work!" raged Kamina.

"Look at it!" Naruto said. "It is rasengan, only one that better suits you."

Kamina stared at his hand and all glumness left him. "Now this is badass!"

"I think you are ready now, young padawan. Go kick these Meta-Spirals asses."

"Hell yeah! They won't know what hit 'em!"

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_A/N: Not many reviews last few chapters. Let's pick it up people. None stop action for a while from here. Until then, sayonara._

_-FWF_


	20. Omake IX

**TTGLX: Brothers to the End.**

Omake Issue 9: The Ultimate Technique.

_A/N: I'm not dead nor am I abandoning this story! I am also not delaying through lack of reviews or anything as I know that I have a strong fan base. I've just been under the weather recently and haven't much been in the writing mood. Lots of personal stuff going off that is getting in the way of clear thoughts - something that I require to write. I apologise but if the words aren't flowing naturally then I'm not going to force them. _

_So here is the next omake. Made it and posted it to let you all know that the story is still alive. I will try to get it running again quickly but things are still a bit unsteady. I've got lots of ideas left racing through my head though so mark my words, This is nowhere near the end of Kamina's adventures._

_This is only short and poorly written, but at least it lets you know what's going off. Don't expect a speedy update but keep badgering me and I'll hopefully get back into the flow of things._

_Drop me a review when you are through to tell me if it's ace or poo. Tell me what to do and I will really love you and if not I'll hit you with my shoe! _

_Suck it, poets! Without further ado, enjoy. _

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Kamina stood outside of Naruto's hut making his final preparations before departing for battle. He was still pretty battered and his iconic cape and shades had been lost to him but he was feeling confident. He had learned much during his time with Master Uzumaku and was aching to try out his new techniques.

He had just finished packing his rucksack with supplies when Naruto emerged from his hut. His piercing blue locked with Kamina's. "Wait a moment, Kamina. I've been thinking and I think that you are ready for one final lesson. I wasn't going to show it you at first but after careful thought, I know it will serve you well. Ready your mind for my ultimate technique."

Kamina's mind raced. "What? You mean something stronger than the rasengan?"

"Yes. It is a move that even your dogged determination would be unable to resist. Bodies will hit the floor and blood will spray.

Kamina leaned in closer, eyes sparkling. "Teach me!"

"Okay." Naruto whispered instructions into Kamna's ear. The brawler's face took on a look of confusion.

"Why would I need to do-"

"Just do it!" Naruto snapped.

Kamina nodded. He placed his hands together to perform the signs and began to concentrate hard on what Naruto had instructed him to: echi manga.

There was a flash of light that spawned a billowing mass of smoke. As it cleared it revealed a somewhat more…shapely version of Kamina. His blue hair had grown longer, his features less angular and his body was more slender and curved. His tattoos remained but his chest had…developed somewhat.

"The hell!" Kamina gawked. "You taught me a transgender jutsu? Dear God you've been in the woods alone for too long, perverted bastard! Where the hell has my manhood gone damn you! The great Kamina demands his junk back!"

"Quit jiggling!" spluttered Naruto agitatedly. "It's just a jutsu so when you release it you'll return to normal."

"Why tell me it's the ultimate technique though!" roared Kamina, his now long lashed eyes twitching angrily. "You damn dirty old man."

"It is though." reasoned Naruto with a smile. "Imagine if your enemy suddenly changed into a super hot naked chick."

Kamina thought for a moment. "Point taken." he conceded. "What's with this then?" he asked, pointing at the well placed clouds that hung around his chest and thighs.

"Censor no jutsu."

Kamina stepped over to the river to admire himself. "Man I'm hot. No wonder nobody can resist me. Even as a super sexy girl I'm still the manliest person I've ever met. That's just how awesome I am!"

A thought suddenly struck him with the force of lightning. "Can this be used in a combo?"

"Of course. I created the sexy jutsu so it, like everything else I've ever used, is compatible with the shadow clones." Naruto replied knowingly.

"Sweet." Kamina grinned. A few hand signs later and he was back in his normal form, surrounded by several female clones. "One man orgy no jutsu! Hey, since they're all me, would that count as-"

"Don't ask!" interrupted Naruto.

Undeterred, Kamina continued to speak. "Wait. Even better! I can now get into the women's hot spring! Hell, every hot spring in the Soul Society at the same time!"

"Maybe this was a bad idea…" mused Naruto glumly. "I should have seen this coming."

"I'm off!" announced Kamina. "This is too good to pass up." He produced yet more sexy shadow clones.

"Wait! What about the battle with the Meta-Spiral!"

But Kamina had already gone, teleporting away with the speed and skill of a master. Naruto siged and retreated into his hut and opened up a box of ramen. "Why do I bother? I've just given him all of the skills to be the world's biggest pervert. Jiraiya would be so proud…"


	21. 12 Revenge is a dish best served painful

**TTGLX: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter 12: Revenge is a dish best served painfully.

"I'm ready." nodded Kamina resolutely. He was still not back to full strength but had no time to waste if he wanted to save his friends. "Are you sure that you'll not leave retirement for one final battle?"

Naruto Uzumaki shook his head. "It is never one final battle. Someone stronger will always rise, forcing you into battle again. I haven't given up on peace; I just know that fighting cannot achieve it."

Kamina scoffed at the words. "I don't agree with you but good luck finding another path all the same." he said as he held out his hand. Naruto took it and they shook, man to man, hero to hero.

"I have faith in you, Kamina!" Naruto called out as Kamina turned and strode resolutely into the shadows of the forest. "Do me proud!"

Kamina grinned to himself as he marched brazenly through the trees toward the plateau of his defeat. He should have been worried after his sound beating at the hands of the Meta-Spiral but his confidence levels were through the roof at the moment. He would not be defeated a second time.

Naruto had been right: stronger opponents will always rise up. That suited Kamina just fine though. Stronger enemies forced him to grow stronger too, gave him a challenge, gave him a purpose. What good was a brawler without someone to fight? What use was a hero without a villain? Who needed a guardian when nobody was in threat? Peace had taught Kamina one lesson and that was that men like him had no purpose outside of battle.

This Meta-Spiral would fall and then Kamina would find a way to sort out everything else and return things to normal like he always had done. He would find Simon and Kill anything that sought to hurt his bro. that was a promise.

He found his way to the river bank then followed the frothing water uphill until he spied the large cliff ahead that Kittan had kicked him from. Kamina could have teleported up there but he wanted to keep all of his aces up his metaphorical sleeves. Instead he flexed his muscles and set to work climbing the vast wall of rock.

Without breaking a sweat he scaled the cliff and hopped effortlessly onto the flat ground above. The once beautiful sight was a mess of rubble and dirt, craters and gashes marking the earth like terrible scars.

A glint of metal caught his eye and Kamina approached the zanpakuto that was embedded into the ground. It was Kittan's. Just like before, the weapon pinned a note to the floor. Kamina slid the blade through his belt beside his own then scanned the note.

_Kamina, I know you yet live and that you will come seeking your death at my hands. I have a job to do though so cannot wait forever. Your friends have been disposed off and so will offer you no help. If you wish to stop me then you had better rush to the Soul Palace. Enjoy._

With a snort, Kamina screwed the paper up. "Cocky bastard!" he muttered. "He has no idea who the hell he is dealing with."

Without another word, Kamina teleported to the grounds of the Soul Palace. It was a good job that he had already been here before, he mused as he looked around. He'd have hated to walk here.

The place seemed undamaged, tranquil. The Meta obviously hadn't arrived yet. The Palace was situated atop a massive mountain that marked the very heart of the Soul Society. Kamina stepped up to the edge of the grounds and peered down the mountain. Sure enough, the black flamed man was visible below, working his way slowly up the mountain pass.

Casually, Kamina stepped over the edge and fell, landing gracefully in a crouch before the Meta. The man seemed genuinely surprised but quickly recovered.

"I did not expect you to confront me so quickly. I doubted you would be able to fight so soon, let alone get here before me. You really are full of surprises." Belfay said admiringly. "It is a shame that I have more power than you have surprises."

"That's what you think!" smirked Kamina as he hopped lightly from foot to foot. "Now you'd better tell me where the others are or I'll have to beat it out of you."

Belfay shrugged passively. "They still live…for now. I will need their souls very soon. As soon as I have defeated you that is."

"Let's do this then! Let's see how tough you sound when I use your afro to clean out your own ass!" Kamina boasted as he whipped out his sword.

The Meta summoned his own blade. "Aren't you going to try? No Bankai? No hollow mask?"

"I don't need them." came the confident reply.

"You'll pay for your insolence!" sneered Belfay as he started forward. He slashed and Kamina vanished. The sword clove through thin air, causing the Meta to loose his balance. Kamina's zanpakuto swung at his back but Belfay managed to flash-step away at the last instant.

"So you're faster now! That means nothing!"

"Oh really?" Kamina laughed. "Catch me if you can!" He disappeared and reappeared in rapid succession, circling around the Meta with such speed that the man couldn't track his movements. Kamina tore into him, every second bringing him a new sword stroke at a different angle of Belfay's body.

The Meta went on the defensive, seeking to disrupt Kamina's rhythm before he was cut to ribbons. Rather than slowing though, Kamina seemed to grow faster, visions of three different versions of him moving around the Meta faster than the speed of light.

The voices rippled through Belfay's mind once more, his companions' powers unlocking within him. In an instant his strength had doubled. Not wasting a single second of his new power, the Meta spun and lunged with his blade, skewering Kamina as he drove in to continue his relentless assault.

Rather than a shower of blood and a pained scream the Meta received only a face full of smoke as the man poofed out of existence. Belfay was hit again so he lashed around, another burst of smoke greeting his drill pickaxe.

"Missed me." mocked Kamina from his position of sitting casually upon a nearby rock. "That damn power boost of yours isn't gonna fool me twice."

Belfay laughed. "It already has. That power boost was my fellow Meta giving me sections of their power. The increase that nearly killed you last time was only one of my companions power. There are ten Meta. That means that I can grow stronger ten times. Each boost doubles my power. You do the math."

"Maths is for nerds! I'll work it out with my fists!" Kamina yelled as he unleashed his shikai. He bounded at Belfay, their blades clashing with bone breaking force. They exchanged blows with lightning fast speed until the two weapons locked in a deadly struggle.

"Rasengan!" Kamina bellowed as he held out his left hand, his rights arm taking all of the force on his zanpakuto. Energy began to flow around his hand, forming a distorted sphere. The Meta tried to run but a Kamina clone appeared behind him and pinned his limbs. The energy finally formed into the shape of a drill then Kamina punched it hard into the Meta's undefended chest.

Blood splattered everywhere as the drill tore through flesh and organs. When inside, the energy exploded, ripping the Meta to shreds. Belfay dropped, eyes lifeless. Light suddenly shot out from him and Kamina felt the spiral energy of the man spike. Like a reanimated corpse, Belfay slid eerily back to his feet, his skin knitting itself back together even as he straightened himself up.

"You've pushed me to level three. Not bad. This was the maximum power of the spiral warrior Lordgenome at the height of his power. Let me demonstrate just how strong that is."

He drove his fist into Kamina's gut before the brawler could even register the movement. Blood spewed from his mouth as his insides simultaneously ruptured. Kamina didn't even have time to gasp for breath when Belfay delivered a roundhouse kick to the temple, cracking skull and rocketing the shinigami through the rock of the mountain.

A section of the mountain exploded as Kamina staggered out of the hole, his bankai armour now covering his body. A shadow clone popped up beside him, also wearing armour. Both charged but were knocked back by a wave of raw power followed by a series of laser beams. The clone vanished.

Shaking away the pain, Kamina summoned yet another clone. Belfay raised an eyebrow.

"We've established that those don't really work." he commented dryly. "Are you really that desperate?"

"Keep telling yourself that." chuckled Kamina even as blood bubbled around his lips. "I'm gonna solve this just like everything else. We're gonna combine!"

"What?"

"You heard me, bobblehead. Combining is the art of two manly souls smashing together and no two souls are manlier than two of me!"

Belfay sighed at the overdramatic display. He was sick of these games now. His face dropped though when the clone Kamina began to glow then change, taking on the form of a giant spinning drill bigger than a man that Kamina held in his hand.

"Giga rasengan!" he yelled, teleporting to the Meta before the man could dodge. There was a crash that shook the entire earth and caused thunder to shatter the sky. The ground opened up, a mile wide crater obliterating the landscape at the base of the mountain. The shockwave alone was enough to crush all organic life in the area.

Blood was splattered everywhere and not all of it belonged to the Meta. Kamina stood over Belfay's prone body, panting heavily and limbs shaking. His skin was pale and drenched in blood. He staggered back, struggling to stand.

A wave of power smashed into him, followed almost immediately by a second. Kamina could hardly believe it as once again the Meta rebuilt himself and rose to his feet.

"Don't you understand?" Belfay sighed. "Each time that I power up I am healed. You would have to kill me ten times before I will stay down yet each time you defeat me it only serves to make me stronger. At the moment we play a simple game: you beat me then I get stronger and beat you which in turn makes you stronger. It is a circle, but one that I fear you cannot continue. You forced me up two levels with that last attack. That means I have five more increases to go. You only have one."

"Screw you, bastard!" Kamina hissed. "You aren't the only one holding back. It's not much of a fight if I kick your ass instantly. I've defeated Aizen and the Anti-Spiral so I'm not about to let some little punk take me down!"

"Oh really? And how do you plan to stop me?"

Kamina placed a bloody hand over his face. It flashed with light then moved away to reveal the bone white hollow mask. The hollowfication didn't end there though, the white liquid spreading across the bankai armour, combining to create a half bone half metal skin around Kamina. The glowing blue tattoos grew and became more intricate, creating a plasma blue netting across every surface that crackled with power. Horns and spikes grew out from the armour.

Hollowfication while in bankai was something that Kamina had only ever tried in training. The power was just too unstable but he had little choice in the matter now. It was dangerous but he was confident that it would work.

Belfay shrugged as though he was bored then barrelled forward, his pick axe multiplying so that he held one in each hand. Kamina blocked then span away, cero blazing from his hands and mouth in a storm of destruction. The Meta side stepped and met the barrage with a hail of projectile drills.

They clashed again and again, their blades smashing together and creating ripples of power that shattered the surrounding scenery. Kamina blocked, lunged, parried and slashed in an intricate dance of destruction, his every move matched perfectly by Belfay.

The Meta leapt over Kamina's next attack, wedging his pickaxe into a joint in the bone/metal armour. It tore through the material but before it could reach skin, Kamina grabbed onto the weapon and snapped it clean in half. The pickaxe repaired itself instantly but the moment had cost the Meta the momentum of the battle. Now he was on the back foot as Kamina pressed the attack.

"You are strong!" grunted Belfay. "Stronger than we realised. You will fit our needs perfectly."

"Go to hell!" Kamina snapped, increasing the frenzy of his blows. Belfay flipped up into the sky, landing lightly on higher ground.

"Do you know why we chose you, Kamina?" Belfay asked. "Do you have any idea why I condemned myself to death so that I could come here and find you?"

"Because you need my power."

Belfay laughed. "That is only partly true. We needed a hollow of immense power. That left only you and Captain Kurosaki. You were picked out due to your connections to our newest member: Simon."

"No!" roared Kamina. He sped forward, hacking at Belfay. The Meta dodged and the two began a deadly game of chase. "Simon would never join you!"

"Oh but he has. Gurren Lagann is already back in his control, as is your old katana. We are but a few days away from initiating the Spiral Blessing. You will help us with this." informed the Meta, smirking the entire time.

Kamina upped his game, an aura of blue flames visibly forming around him. "Nobody controls the mighty Kamina! His wild and manly spirit cannot be tamed or bent, his passion unchangeable and his fighting spirit is undefeatable! When people talk about Team Dai-Gurren's badass leader, the manly lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division and the hero of humanity, THEY'RE TALKIN' ABOUT ME! THE MIGHTY KAMINA!"

He lunged at the Meta with a double rasengan but Belfay released another power level and easily stopped the attack.

"You say all of that, but what of you're inner hollow? Does not he control you at times? Changes your thoughts and actions? I can see him even now trying to gain control in your head." Belfay stated with a knowing smile.

He continued. "Shall I tell you a secret? Hollows are the ultimate example of spiral life forms. Humans strive to become stronger, spread like rats and achieve the unachievable but they have limits. They have levels were they can learn nothing new, where their bodies cannot take the strain of becoming any stronger. They grow old and weak just as they reach their prime."

"Hollows on the other hand have no limits. They consume souls and constantly evolve, never stopping, always growing stronger. Hollows become gillian, then adjuchas, then vasto lorde. What if one vasto lorde consumed every other? Then it too would evolve into something unimaginably powerful. They do not age, do not hold back. Hollows are the ultimate spiral warriors only they lack direction and focussed thought, both of which you posses."

"Hollows are nothing but monsters. The day that I give into that voice is the day that I have lost myself and if Kamina is no longer present, then the monster left will have no power. Mindless hunger is not how the spiral works!"

"Poor little naïve Kamina. So misguided. Humanity is itself a mindless hunger. That is exactly why the Anti-Spiral sought to destroy it. You cannot deny the truth."

"We'll see about that!"

"Indeed we will." chuckled Belfay sinisterly. He traced a symbol through the air, glowing lines materialising where his finger passed. Kamina was unsure what he was doing but decided it best not to find out. Quick as a flash he moved to disrupt his foe.

Drills shot out of the ground to meet him, delaying him for a vital few seconds before he had reduced them to dust. No sooner had Kamina covered the distance, the symbol flashed, freezing him in place.

"Bastard! This won't hold me for long! When I bust out your gonna be in a whole world of pain!" he murmured angrily through his mask, the words slurred to him being unable to move his lips.

"That won't be the case as I don't intend to keep you incapacitated for long." intoned Belfay. He stretched out his arm, reaching for Kamina's face. Kamina tried to struggle away but it was a fruitless venture. The Meta placed his hand onto Kamina's forehead then muttered a few words that caused his hand to become transparent and emit a faint glow.

His hand passed though Kamina's skin and skull, reaching deep inside of his brain. Kamina screamed but could do nothing to stop him. He could feel his control slipping with every second. His inner hollow pressed against his mental bonds, straining for release, rapidly growing in power.

"No!" screamed Kamina as the ice fingers picked through his brain, unlocking his mental defences. The spell that held him was breaking. A few more seconds and he would be free.

"Here we are!" announced Belfay gleefully. "I release you, hollow!"

Kamina roared in pain and anger as his final defences were torn down and his inner hollow began to spread through his head like napalm. He convulsed, rapidly loosing control of his body.

He screamed out, the sound morphing from human to hollow with every passing second. His mask changed, the shade visor becoming glimmering horns, his blue hair growing to billow around his body in wild tendrils and deadly claws tore up out of his fingers. The tattoos burned with a fierce fire that crackled like burning paper.

Belfay hopped a few foot up the mountain and fired a series of drills at the hollow Kamina. They all disintegrated before reaching him, the power surrounding him was so intense that everything in the air was burned to a crisp in an instant.

The hollow fixed Belfay with a death glare that could freeze the heart of the bravest warrior with terror. It roared and blasted off a blinding cero that passed straight through the mountain, leaving behind a large hole that revealed the sky beyond. Unfazed, Belfay continued up the mountain, constantly dodging the cero assault that decimated the mountain around him.

Despite the danger, the Meta had a warped smile on his face, seemingly enjoying himself. Seeing the entrance to the Spirit King's palace he directed himself inside, making sure that Kamina followed.

The king's royal guards, each a former shinigami captain, rushed forward to neutralise the intruders but a single cero from hollow Kamina turned the entire corridor and all of its occupants into a bubbling puddle. Belfay only just avoided that fate by firing himself up and clutching onto the ceiling high above.

Belfay swung back down and continued his sprint through the endless rooms. The very world seemed to burn around him, Kamina reducing everything in site down to their base atoms.

Finally he burst through a door and saw what he had been seeking. A vast spiral of flowing blue energy that surrounded the vague figure of a man. The power emanating from it was otherworldly, almost dwarfing anything that the Meta had felt before. This was the largest stable source of spiral energy in the universe, the glow that held reality, life and the dimensional rifts in place.

"Spirit King." Belfay muttered admiringly.

At that moment, Kamina smashed his way into the chamber. Belfay dived away from another cero that fizzled out against the spiral of energy around the king. The entire room pulsed angrily at the act of aggression. The hollow appeared to take note of this dismissal of his attack, interested by the sheer level of strength that this soul possessed.

The cogs of destiny were turning.

Belfay stood his ground now. With a deep breath he released all of his power reserves, boosting himself straight to his tenth and final level. The noire flames around him seemed to fill the room, mingling with the opposing auras of blue and red that battled for control of the very air that the three men breathed.

Kamina dashed forward, swinging his shade shaped sword with a demonic scream. Belfay parried and managed to direct the attack onto the spirit king. The blade hit the wall of energy and crackled with a thunderous sound. He quickly flash-stepped to the opposite side of the chamber, the spirit king separating the two combatants.

The Meta put his hands together, channelling the black flames down his arms. Accepting the challenge, the hollow began to charge a massive cero, its mouth and horns each glowing with devastating power. Between the two, the spirit king sat unmoving, no sign of breathing visible through the blinding haze of energy.

Both Kamina and Belfay shot their strongest attacks at the centre of the room. For a heartbeat there was nothing then the universe shattered. A warped rainbow of colours assaulted the two men's vision and mind, tore at flesh and ground bone to dust with reverberations that threatened to shake the very soul into oblivion. A million voices screamed out in agony and terror and the world span crazily like a spinning top, crashing into objects with the speed to destroy itself on impact.

The twin beams tore through the spiral energy that cloaked the king. The silhouette within seemed to melt like ice then an even greater explosion rocked the very rhythm of life, distorting reality with unimaginable carnage.

The spirit king's palace crumbled like an avalanche, taking the entire mountain with it. Lava frothed up from nowhere, bursting into the sky and flooding the plains below. Chunks of rock that had once formed the mountain tumbled, making the long journey to the ground far below.

Belfay and Kamina stood upon one such rock.

"I've done it!" cackled Belfay manically. His body looked crippled but he was ecstatic regardless. "The spirit king is dead! Gone! Hahahaha! You have helped me to destroy the very core of life, Kamina! The universe's fate is now sealed! Without his power and guiding hand, the worlds will fall into each other and create a beautiful chaos that will usher in the spiral blessing!"

Kamina, still fully under the control of his inner hollow, made no noise. Faster than could be seen in grabbed Belfay's head in a single clawed hand. Belfay stabbed his pickaxe into the monster's gut with all of his might but the weapon snapped on impact. With a nightmarish roar, Kamina clenched his fist, crushing the Meta-Spiral's head like an overripe melon placed into a vice.

The Meta's body fell dully to the ground and didn't move. A savage kick sent it into the lava. Kamina hissed then stepped into the liquid death, showing no damage as he plodded across the burning river.

He suddenly stopped and looked up. Above him was a black clad warrior with his sword at the ready. Spikes of ginger hair whipped madly in the powerful wind.

"What have you done, Kamina?" bellowed Captain Ichigo Kurosaki, absolute disbelief resounding in his strained voice. "How could you!"

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_AN/ Sorry again guys for the long update times. For the sake of sanity I've decided to set updates for every Friday, so that's one week chapter, next week omake, etc… Hope this suits you all fine._

_Pretty big events here, hope it didn't feel to rushed or anything but I've struggled to write more than a single sentence every sitting…in everything I've done the past few week. I tried to make it all flow though so fingers crossed that it came out okay._

_So until next Friday, (Possibly Thursday night for you American/Canadian readers I think lol), sayonara_

_-FWF_


	22. Omake X

**TTGLX: Brothers to the End.**

Omake Issue X: New Toys.

Captain Hisagi stood looking appraisingly at the strange machine that was set up before him. Behind him was a group of students that looked both perplexed and terrified of the contraption. Captain Nemu Kurotsuchi was positioned beside it with a device in her hand to monitor the machine.

"Is it ready?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes. All systems are running correctly." confirmed Nemu passively.

"And it won't hurt anybody?" Hisagi pressed, clearly suspicious of the metal monstrosity.

"It is none lethal."

That doesn't include things such as maiming though." he pointed out.

Nemu cocked her head slightly. "You are correct. Re-categorisation may be needed." she responded, her face giving no indication that anything was wrong with this. "It is ready for the first student."

Hesitantly Hisagi picked out the first 'volunteer'. The student looked on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The last person to try out one of Squad Twelve's training machines had had to be rolled to Fourth Division barracks with his head firmly planted up his own backside. It was rumoured to have inspired a movie of some kind…

"Stand on the marked location." Nemu instructed. The student stood on the spot marked with an X. "This machine will test you fighting skills. It is in effect an automated sparring partner set to a student's skill settings. I will start it up, your objective is to hit that red plate on it's body without being hit yourself."

The student turned terrified eyes to Hisagi who nodded encouragingly. He turned back to the machine, determination playing across his face. He readied his zanpakuto. The machine began to make a faint whirring noise as it started to clunk into motion. With a deep breath he dashed forward.

A fist burst from the machine and smashed into the boy's face sending him spiralling into the far wall with a crack.

"Maybe they are not ready for this apparatus just yet." Nemu noted aloud as the boy was carried away to the squad Four barracks. "Something simpler may be in order."

She led the shacking students to the next mechanical monstrosity and started to tap away on its consol. "Simply run on this moving track here and do not fall off. This will build strength and endurance."

"That sounds safe enough." commented Hisagi as he watched the rubber belt move at a gentle jog. "Trueman, you're up."

The student gulped, tears in his eyes. "Tell my family that I love them." he wailed as he made his way onto the machine. He stepped onto it like a man might step into a shark's maw. His legs took on the rhythmic thud of an evening jog.

"See. It's not so bad." Hisagi comforted.

As if on cue, the machine began to speed up, turning from a casual jog through the park to a breakneck sprint down a vertical cliff in seconds. Trueman didn't have the breath to scream. He ran for as long as he could then, unable to continue, was fired straight off the end of the machine and into the wall behind with a crack.

Three more machines were tried out and three more students were left broken and mentally traumatised, crying in the corner.

"What the hell, Nemu?" Hisagi grunted. "I thought you said that these were set at a student's level. A captain would struggle against these."

Nemu cocked her head in a confused manner. "My raw data was collected from a student."

"What?"

"The data was gathered many years ago. Lieutenant Kamina allowed me to analyse his training performances back when he was only a student. He informed me that these were a light workout so I reasoned that the data correctly reflected an average student's ability." Nemu informed him.

Hisagi didn't know where to begin. He wanted to yell at her but Nemu was one of those people who you just couldn't get mad at. Instead he sighed. "Kamina should never be used when working out averages. There is nothing average about him. Redo your tests with current students then we will try again."

"I see." nodded the woman. "So Kamina is an anomaly to be studied further. I must find him and examine his body closely."

Hisagi blushed. "Err…sure." He recovered himself. "I'm curious though, what was his power level back then?"

Nemu checked her data pad. "Nine thousand and eight."

"You have to be kidding me. Over nine thousand." He remembered that Nemu didn't understand the concept of 'kidding'. Or of internet culture apparently. "I need a lie down." he grunted before leaving the room.

Nemu was nonplussed. She turned her attention to the terrified students. "Who would like to help me to gather data?" she asked. As one the class ran screaming, diving through windows to avoid her gaze. The room quickly emptied.

Again Nemu showed no signs of having noticed the departure. She held her Datapad up to her mouth. "The subjects have agreed to help me gather field data. Track them down and record their performances."

"Yes captain!" replied the voice that blared from the device. Only a minute had passed before the first scream rang out. Hisagi had been right. New data was always a good thing, she smiled.


	23. 13 Final Preparations

**TTGLX: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter 13: Final Preparations.

Stars filled the horizon and darkness rapidly cloaked all of the surroundings as the Ark Gurren blasted skyward toward the isolation of space. Simon stood on the ship's command bridge, in the exact same spot he had stood many years ago during his quest to save Nia from the Anti-Spiral.

Nia. She could have still been at Simon's side had he used his vast spiral power to stabilise her DNA. She could have lived and they would both have been happy but instead he had let her slip away from a misguided sense of duty.

Was the world any better because of his sacrifice? War and hatred still existed, people still died pointlessly. Spiral life was booming but at the cost of nature. The flowers and trees that Nia had loved so much were being replaced with concrete and skyscrapers, the pure air tainted by poison fumes.

What would Kamina have done? This question seemed to accompany every thought of Simon since his brothers death. Simon knew for certain that Kamina wouldn't have allowed Rossiu to override his wishes. He wouldn't have allowed the gunmen to be scrapped and he definitely wouldn't have let the people become fat, lazy moaners like they had under Simon's supervision. Some harebrained idea would have formed in his head to prevent the heavy losses during the battle against the Anti-Spiral. Would he have let Yoko die though if he had had a chance to save her? Would he use forbidden power to set the world right? If it was Simon who had died at the battle for Dai-Gunzan, would he have moved on or use everything at his disposal to bring him back?

He pushed these thoughts aside once again. They didn't matter now. He would never have the answers that he sought so why waste time worrying about them. He had a job to do, a purpose in life. That was what mattered now. He had a meaning. He could bring her back.

The bridge doors slid open and the Meta-Spirals entered. They all looked cheerful as they crossed the room to stand beside Simon. Vale offered him a grin as he patted the spiral warrior's shoulder. "It is time."

"Right." nodded Simon. His steely eyes spread across the assembled group. "Can you manage it?"

"We're spiral warriors just like you. We can handle anything. After giving some of our powers to both you and Belfay we will all be at half strength for a while but the payoff will be worth it." Vale replied. "What's important is that your body can take the power boost. I won't ask that though as we all know your answer."

"Good. How long do we have?" Simon asked, the question was addressed to Boota who was stood over a terminal beside him.

"The Arc-Gurren will arrive at the Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren in twenty three minutes at our current speed. That should be ample time for the procedure." the ex-pigmole declared. He had donned an official looking uniform.

"Let's do this then." Simon ordered. He swung himself into the command chair then closed his eyes. The Meta-Spirals gathered around him, all except for the woman, Nikkita, who had already given Simon some of her mind and power during his transformation.

Vale placed his hand onto Simon's head and the others followed his lead. Each began to channel energy, their hands blazing with their respective spiral colours. Simon's body rippled with a rainbow of energy that stormed across his skin.

A thud echoed though the ship's hull. Boota tapped furiously on the console. "Five Arc Gurren class ships have opened fire on us. They aren't going to let us get close to the Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren."

Simon scoffed wordlessly. "All thrusters to full. Divert power from the shields to the super spiral giga blasters. Blow them out of the sky." Simon ordered without any sign of movement.

More explosions shook the ship but nobody battered an eyelash. Seconds passed then there was the sound of the Arc-Gurren's own guns firing. Though the window dozens of giant drills shot by with streaks of green lightning propelling them forward through the darkness of space.

The drills split and targeted each enemy ship before they impacted with invisible spiral shields but tore straight through them like dirt, continuing to spin clean into the titanium armour of the human vessels. Ragged holes showed the drills passing before an intense green flare reduced every ship into a series of fiery explosions. Only slithers of scrap metal testified to the five ships existence mere seconds before.

"The Super Galaxy is firing!" Boota informed, his fingers a blur of motion across the keypad. "Shifting all energy to the shields."

"No." came Simon's cold voice. "Engage the heaven render."

"But Simon-"

"Now!"

"Heaven render engaged!" Boota confirmed. The spacecraft pulsed slightly as its front morphed into a drill bit.

The Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren released its salvo of lasers, boiling the surrounding sky with its intense brightness. With full thrusters, the Arc Gurren charged straight into the maelstrom of death, each attack easily as big as the Arc itself. With the drill engaged though most of the attacks either glanced away from the sleek spinning surface or was passed straight through.

"Don't stop at any cost! Build up maximum speed and we'll burst straight through its face." Simon grinned. It was his first real movement the entire battle. The Meta were in deep depths of concentration and paid no heed at all to their surroundings.

Again and again the ship was hit, chunks of metal bending and peeling away under the intense strain it was under. Red lights flashed around the bridge indicating critical damage but Simon didn't allow it to ease up. His fighting spirit was flooding the corridors, serving as a bond to keep the ship intact.

Then there was an unholy crash that threatened to shatter the Arc Gurren as the frontal drill hit the Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren's face. For a moment it seemed that the drill would not break through but nothing could stand in the way of Simon's willpower. The face gave and the Arc Gurren forced its way inside the planet sized flag ship.

"Weak!" Simon scolded. "We got in without even having to transform into mecha mode. They've had decades to improve yet can't even defend their strongest weapon from a single ship. Pathetic!"

As one unit, the Meta-Spirals moved away. "It is done." Vale announced. "And just in time for some action by the looks of it."

"I doubt it." sighed Simon. "If the internal defences are anything like the external ones, Boota alone would be more than enough to capture the ship." He got to his feet and strode confidently through thee door. Boota and the Meta-Spirals followed him through the corridors until he arrived at the exit ramp.

Without even pausing he typed in the code and the door slid open. Fifty soldiers wielding spiral round machineguns stood outside and greeted him with a hail of bullets. Simon chuckled darkly as the bullets dissipated against his condensed spiral energy, his sheer level of power forming a force shield around him.

Simon flicked his arm and a wave of green energy threw the men aside like rag dolls. He descended the ramp as rockets flew at him from further into to the desolated room. He batted them away carelessly as though they were nothing more than pesky flies. In the following haze of smoke Boota leapt forward with animalistic ferocity and tore into the missile toting soldiers. By the time that the group of spiral warriors had caught up with him, all of the guards were dead.

"Spread out." ordered Simon. "Take the ship. I'm going to pay the bridge a visit." Without waiting for a response he visualised the command centre of the ship and used his spiral energy to teleport himself there. Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren was so large that conventional travel was impractical. Instead a system of matter transporters were used to traverse the ship. Not that Simon needed to use them.

A shocked man in a commanders uniform of plain white that was decorated with multiple stripes and medals to indicate his ranks and achievements. He was a large man with features that greatly resembled someone from Simon's past.

"Simon Jiha, traitor to humanity. My father should have kept a better eye on you." grunted the man in a snobbish voice.

"Hmm, fat, ugly, distinctly sweaty odour, thinks to highly of himself…ah, you must by my old village chief's spawn. The resemblances are uncanny." Simon mocked, instantly angering the commander. "How did a fat slob like you manage to wheedle his way into command of _MY _flagship?"

"My father did well after you and your misfit companions defeated the Anti-Spirals. The fame of raising the hero of humanity combined with the mass openings in the government since your buddies all got themselves killed. He got into an official position and worked his way up."

"I suppose that's what happens when you leave someone like Rossiu in charge. I think that it's time to rectify this." Simon sneered.

"Ha! You feeling lucky, punk? You should know that this bridge has the best automated defences in the universe. You can't even sneeze without being turned to dust." grinned the commander confidently.

Simon punched him in the face. Hard. The fat man flew back into the terminals behind, scattering the crew like flies. None of the turrets even twitched.

"But h-how?" whimpered the man impotently. Blood oozed down his tanned face.

"Like I said, this ship is mine. It responds to my will and mine alone. In fact, it is you people who are the invaders. It is you lot who probably shouldn't sneeze." Simon said as he towered over the fallen brute. His eyes flashed and the turrets snapped into life, targeting the crew with enough firepower to decimate a squadron of gunmen. He clicked his fingers and the crew was reduced to a bad stain in seconds. The old chief's son screamed but was untouched by the storm of death.

"You're a monster!" the commander shouted, his eyes wild and his entire body shaking.

Simon shrugged. "Your father was always good to me." he began to the commander's visible relief. The same can't be said though for his actions against my brother." The commander's face fell.

Almost absentmindedly, Simon began to ramble. "Did you know that drills are the physical manifestation of spiral energy? A person's energy can be used to form drills on objects such as gunmen. It can also use the iron in blood to form a drill over limbs like during my showdown with the Anti-Spiral. It is interesting to note that someone such as me could turn someone else's blood into a drill. Imagine that, a raging drill forming within your chest, spinning your vital organs to shreds. Why, all it would take is for me to place my hand over your heart and think about it."

"No! Dear God please! No!"

Simon touched the larger man's chest. The commander screamed, spasmed, then became still.

"Coward!" Simon sneered. "So terrified that you have a heart attack at a touch alone."

At that moment, Vale entered the bridge. He strolled past the bodies without acknowledging their existence. His cocky smile was as prominent as the dripping blood on his hands. None of it was his.

"The ship is now back under your full command, Simon. Only a few final preparations remain before our conquest."

"Good." began Simon. He looked about to continue but was cut short as the entire ship suddenly span violently. As it stabilised, Simon glanced out of the window into the darkness of space. The stars did not greet him though. Instead, space itself was ruptured by a glowing crack that split the surroundings like shattered glass.

Upon seeing Vale's pleased nod, Simon turned to him. "This is part of your plan then?"

"Indeed. As you know, we sent Belfay to the spirit world in order to further our goals. This is a sign of his success."

"You have been very elusive about the details of Belfay's objectives. Care to enlighten me. In my eyes, this looks like a dimensional rift." said Simon, neither his face nor his voice showing any sign of surprise at the shattering of reality.

Vale laughed appraisingly. "You are right. It is a dimensional rift. The universe is a delicate mesh of worlds, galaxies, dimensions and timelines, all of which are held together by the common denominator of the afterlife. The Soul Society. The reason that the Soul Society binds everything together is because of the immense spiral energy that is channelled through the king of spirits."

"So you sent Belfay to kill this king? That was a bit ambitious if he is as strong as you make him out to be." Simon pointed out.

"As ever you are correct. Belfay alone would not be enough to kill the King of Spirits in a one on one fight. That was not quiet the case though. The King of Spirits is not exactly empowered by the vast levels of energy. He is a conduit of the universe's power rather than a user of it. He is burdened by it to the point where he cannot leave his throne. He needs to remain their for the power to flow out across space and create spiral stability. He is his own prisoner." answered Vale, his knowledge on the forbidden workings of the universe far deeper than Simon had ever imagined.

Vale continued. "Add to that the fact that Belfay was not alone and it seems quiet in our favour."

His tone of voice sparked Simon's curiosity. "He wasn't alone?"

"No. I knew that his task would be difficult so I told him to enlist the aid of your dear brother."

"Kamina? He'd never go in for anything like that."

"Coercion isn't the only method of control. Kamina has a dark side that only needed to be forced into the open. Angry people can be tricked into anything."

Simon laughed aloud. "Kamina doesn't like to be used. He will find a way here and fight you. This will be interesting indeed. I always have wanted to have the chance to face him."

000

There was a tense silence that hung heavy in the air of the Shinigami council hall. Several of the usual attendees were missing while others filled their place. Nobody looked happy with events.

"What the hell is going on?" snapped Renji. "First Simon disappears, then we are sent to take out none threatening targets, Kamina is arrested, Simon returns but as a bad guy, Kamina escapes along with the other Dai-Gurren members, This Meta-Spiral turns up and starts wreaking havoc and now giant cracks are spreading across the sky!"

Hitsugaya scowled at him. "We've already been over this. The Meta-Spirals are beings that seek to bring about the spiral nemesis. They captured Simon because of his vast power levels. We chose to eliminate those targets as they were disrupting the balance of spiral energy. One of the Meta was sent here to target Kamina, likely for the same reason as they took Simon. Are we all clear now?"

"Where is Ichigo?" Kenpachi grunted, clearly agitated at the thought that Ichigo was out there having fun.

"Captain Kurosaki was dispatched when we got Kamina's spiral signature on our radar. His power was off the charts. He'd gone hollow by the luck of it so only Kurosaki can fight him."

To everyone's surprise, Nemu interrupted the Head Captain. "He was too late."

"What do you mean by too late?" pressed Hitsugaya.

"The cracks in the sky are dimensional rifts, splits in time and space. Do you know about the omniverse theory that every action, every thought or possibility have happened in one universe or other, that every dimension, timeline and galaxy all exist together in a tangle of space? Those cracks are were the different universes are crumbling into one another."

"But what does that have to do with Kamina?" Hisagi asked, his mind clearly working to fit the pieces of information together.

Nemu thought for a second, thinking through how best to word her next statement. "The centre point of all of these universes is the Soul Society. The thing that holds everything together is the King of Spirits. These rifts could only ever occur if our king was no longer with us."

"That is impossible!" blurted out Rukia Kuchiki who had stood in for Ichigo due to being his lieutenant. "The power needed to kill him would be astronomical."

"We all know that Kamina is at captain level strength. If he were to go full hollow then he could easily out power all of us." Hisagi reminded them.

"So we're royally screwed then?" Renji muttered angrily.

"Not necessarily." Nemu smiled. "Every universe in existence are simply smashing into one another. All life will be perfectly fine other than becoming misplaced. Chaos will only stem from the life forms themselves. The strongest fighters that have ever lived will all be gathered on one world after all."

Kenpachi's grin could have killed an army a mile away. "All the strongest fighters all gathered on our doorstep? I'm gonna like this world."

Hitsugaya brought them all back to the problem at hand. "This rift is a moot issue at the moment. Remember that the Meta-Spiral's aim to spark the spiral nemesis and so to destroy all of these universes tat are merging together. We need to act now or loose the chance forever."

"What do you propose then?" asked Shunsui Kyoraku.

Hitsugaya looked each of them in the eyes. "Nemu informs me that these rifts in their present state can be used as a portal into other worlds. In theory, we could all travel to earth without the need of gigai. We can fight against Simon with our full powers. We don't technically break any rules that way."

Kenpachi's glee had a visible aura by this point. "Now you're talking my language! My sword thirst to smash his drill to splinters."

"Wait." Rukia injected. "What about the other Dai-Gurren members? They seem to have fallen off of the radar. Without them we are several skilled officers down."

Captain Soifon cleared her throat. "My agents have been keeping a close eye on those troublemakers. They reported that the Gurren Brigade was defeated by the Meta-Spiral and then captured. They are currently being held in an abandoned mining facility. The place is heavily defended though."

"We can't afford to loose any more time or shinigami to rescue them until Simon has been dealt with." sighed Hitsugaya.

"I'll go." came a determined voice behind the Head Captain. Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto stepped forward, her eyes hard like steel. "I will recover them and drag their backsides straight into the battle. We need every man after all."

"We don't know what defences the Meta will have set up. It's too dangerous for you to go alone." Toshiro said with a shake of his head.

"I can handle whatever is there. Trust me captain."

Hitsugaya was silent for several seconds. After a moment he nodded. "Okay. Everyone, ready yourselves for battle! I don't know what to expect but as soon as the correct rift is located we will face these Meta-Spiral's head on. Move out!"

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_A/N: Sorry repeatedly for the delay…again. Writer's block has progressed into life block but I am still working my way through this story._

_Please review and tell me your thoughts as they mean so much to me._

_On a side note, I've just posted a new Gurren Lagann AMV on Youtube if anyone wants to check it out. It's a decent quality video this time lol. __ watch?v=g8CIdnk0thA__ or just type in 'Gurren Lagann Tonight we feel alive' by firewolffred. _

_-FWF_


	24. Omake XI

**TTGLX: Brothers to the End.**

Omake Issue 11: Data Files.

_A/N: On time for once - YAY! Right guys, I'm trying to ration ideas as I need to stretch omakes for a long time yet so this will be a data file on a few of the characters, kinda like you get in some manga that tells you characters abilities etc._

_This came from the fact that a few people have commented that Kamina was becoming overpowered and his abilities were becoming confusing. This should clear things up._

_Remember that any ideas for omakes that you have can be sent to me and chances are I will use them. If I don't then I am likely saving the idea for later chapter/story where they will fit better._

_Again please review as every review pushes me on towards the heavens themselves! Put it like this, every review is encouragement, like inspirational words from Kamina himself._

_Enjoy_

_-FWF_

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Kamina Jiha:

Lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division under Captain Ellie Elric. Former Fourth Seat in Squad Eleven under Captain Kenpachhi Zaraki.

His fiery soul and manly spirit push him forward to achieve any goal. He sets his aims high and inspires others to reach them along side of him. His loyalty to his friends is unfaltering and his combat skills are near unsurpassable.

**Sealed Zanpakuto** -His zanpakuto, Gurren, in its sealed form is longer than an average blade and has a crimson red handle.

**Shikai - **Kamina's shikai takes the form of a giant pair of shades just like those used by his personal gunman by the same name. Its power is amplified in the usual ways and several new abilities are unlocked. These include the ability to multiply and be thrown like boomerangs. It's strongest attack is the Giga Shade Break, a variation upon Kamina's signature Giga Drill break.

**Bankai - **Originally Kamina's Bankai took on the form of his gunman, Gurren. It's size made this cumbersome though so Kamina worked on focussing his power into a more compact form. Now it resembles a suit of crimson armour that offers powerful defensive capabilities to complement his reckless head on attacks. The armour, just like a gunmen, increases Kamina's speed and strength. Numerous inbuilt weapons also fill the suit, offering more bang for your buck.

**Flame Seal - **Created by former captain of the Thirteenth Division, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the flame seal was carved onto Kamina's zanpakuto to offer an independent form of kido. When activated, flame spreads across the blade, increasing the weapon's overall damage and offering elemental attack for those foes that are resistant to physical damage.

**Channelled Kido Explosion - **Kamina's rash nature makes his control over kido very dangerous. Any attempt at spells results in an explosion. Kamina improvised this though by channelling the kido through his zanpakuto. Upon doing this an explosion will issue from his blade. This is useful for knocking foes back, breaking enemy's defences or simply creating a gory mess.

**Shadow Clone Jutsu - **One of the skills taught to Kamina by his one off master, former Hokage and Captain, Naruto Uzumaki. By channelling excess spiral energy, Kamina can create clones of himself for use in combat. This goes against Kamina's usual battle plans of fair fighting though as clones are designed as diversions or flanking attackers. He will use it to even the odds though or to become a bodyguard to as many friends as he can.

**Teleportation - **Another skill passed on by Naruto. Teleportation allows Kamina to travel anywhere at light speed. Again, this does not suit Kamina's battle attitude but is perfect for getting from battle to battle in the blink of an eye. It is also very useful for getting past security into places where he shouldn't be.

**Rasengan - **Naruto's signature move, the rasengan was adapted unintentionally by Kamina into a drill shaped mass of spiral energy. It works much the same as the original but the drill shape provides more focus, tearing through anything with ease. While more powerful than the sphere rasengan, the drill version is far more unstable.

**Sexy Jutsu - **The final move taught by Naruto, Sexy Jutsu transforms Kamina into a hot woman. It has little practical application in battle but enables access to areas such as the female hot springs. This form retains all of Kamina's powers and abilities so he can still kick the asses of an entire army but with more jiggle.

**Hollow - **To regain his powers after the battle with Aizen, Kamina allowed himself to become a hollow, turned by the female espada Nel. His hollow form was that of a wolf but it wasn't until he had worked his way through the hollow ranks to Vasto Lorde. From there he removed his mask to become a human looking arrancarr. He now looks much the same as he did in life except for small triangular mask fragments between his eyes and ears and the small hollow hole at the centre of his chest. It also left Kamina with the steel like skin known as hierro and the ability to use cero.

At first his inner hollow was a part of him, his will too powerful for the hollow to have any independence but after Simon's disappearance, the hollow began to break away and plague Kamina's mind. Now the two are at war with each other over who should have control over Kamina's body.

When in need of a power boost, Kamina can summon his hollow mask, which takes on the appearance of a physical representation of the Team Dai-Gurren logo of a flaming shade wearing skull. This vastly increases the power of all of Kamina's skills. His cape becomes a set of flaming wings that enable flight and can wrap around him like a shield.

Should his inner hollow take control and send him into full hollow form then Kamina's mask changes, the shades extending into razor sharp horns. His skin becomes white and claws tear through skin to replace nails. His hair grows out into a wild, almost super Saiyan like style while his tattoos flow like burning veins of power. In this form his power dwarfs that of the shinigami captains but cannot be controlled. Only death and destruction result when this form is released. If released during bankai then key sections of armour bolster the hollow's already near impenetrable skin while metal and bone fuse together to warp the hollow's appearance further.

Kenpachi Zaraki:

The monstrous captain of the Eleventh Division, Kenpachi is widely regarded as the most powerful and terrifying shinigami around. He lives to fight and only respects those with a similar disposition.

While he would hate to admit it, Kenpachi is a skilled teacher, bringing them men under his command to their maximum strength. Unknown to many, Kenpachi personally trained Kamina, helping him boost his power so dramatically in such a short time, although to Kenpachi, beating someone repeatedly to pulp until they learn to get their own back was the best method of training. Kamina respects him greatly and although he is in a different squad now, he often returns to squad Eleven to drink and with his former captain.

After hundreds of years, Kenpachi finally achieved bankai after training in Hell but has only used it once during the battle against the Anti-Spirals. Its effects remain unknown though due to the immediate destruction and subsequent reconstruction of the entire universe.

Kittan:

The Fourth Seat in Squad Eleven, Kittan is a powerful fighter and the strongest spiral warrior after Simon and Kamina. His fighting style is rough and ready, a real brawler. Despite this he is a sentimental man who would do anything for those that he loves.

His relationship with Squad One lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto is progressing steadily although both are reserved when it comes to emotion, Rangiku due to her previous relations with Gin Ichimaru and Kittan because of his total lack of experience in lasting romance. Despite this, or maybe because of it, they get on well and are growing more serious every day.

Kittan also cares deeply for his family back on Earth, casting himself as the guardian angle of his nieces and nephews. Many times while on mission to Earth he would abandon the hunt for hollows to give the school ground bullies a seeing to. At first, as is a well known fact, the children could see him, but as they grew older their sixth sense began to fade. Kittan never went away though and now looked after great great nieces and nephews.

**Shikai - **Kittan's shikai takes the form of a golden shotgun with a bladed edge that makes him deadly at close quarters. Spiral bullets ensure that the zanpakuto can kill all enemies while the blade means that he can go toe to toe with any sword.

**Bankai - **While Kittan was able to achieve bankai with the Spirit King's aid, he has yet to manage the release with his own power. During the battle with the Anti-Spiral, his bankai took on the form of his gunman, King Kittan, just like all of the other members of Team Dai-Gurren. This was due to soul resonance though since the power was given so soon after death. What his true bankai looks like remains unknown but Kittan is close to unlocking it.

**Fighting prowess - **Kittan is a skilled unarmed fighter with speed and strength to rival any athlete. He is also well attuned to his surroundings and has a mind for creating weapons. For many years he fought the beastmen with nothing except for his fists and homemade gadgets, winning gunmen while at a huge disadvantage.

Nemu Kurotsuchi:

Nemu is the artificial daughter of the former mad captain of Squad Twelve, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. After his death at the hands Kamina, Nemu was promoted to the position of captain.

It was Kamina who brought her out of her sad little shell and helped her to realise what life really was. For the first time in her life he made her feel emotion, one of which resulted in Nemu's first crush going toward the blue haired brawler. Knowing him to be devoted to Yoko though, she now looks upon him as her big brother, regardless of the fact that she is far older.

The Twelfth Division has flourished under her guidance and although many were originally against her right to command, she is now much loved and respected by her subordinates.

**Super everything** - Nemu was built to be quicker and stronger than any normal human and her reflexes and resistance to all known poisons make her the ultimate fighter. Even the roughs of Squad Eleven fear to confront her in a fight.

**Brains** - Nemu's head is on par with the world's most powerful supercomputer. She contains all of Mayuri's vast knowledge as well as her own and despite her kind nature has retained the passion for dissection and experimentation.

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_A/N: sorry it's not much but I hope it helped to fill in a few blanks. If there are any characters that you would like to see expanded then give me a heads up. Hope you all enjoyed. Reviews appreciated_

_-FWF_


	25. 14 Hollow vs Hollow

**TTGLX: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter 14: Hollow vs. Hollow.

"Kamina! How could you give into the power? I thought that you were better than that!" roared Ichigo across the devastated land where once the mighty mountain that had been home to the Spirit King had stood. Now only chaos and destruction separated the captain from Kamina.

The hollow that controlled Kamina remained still, snarling threateningly from across the gap. Its eyes blazed with the fires of Hell and its spiral aura scorched the earth around him.

"You have torn out the pin that holds the fabric of existence together. Damn it Kamina!" seethed Ichigo angrily. With an effort, he calmed himself. "It is a waste of time talking to you now. I know better than anybody that a hollow won't listen. The only thing that you will respond to is defeat."

The hollow Kamina cackled savagely then bounded forward with the speed of lightning. It slammed it's clawed fist into Ichigo face, knocking him through a nearby rock. Ichigo shot from the rubble, his bankai now active and his hollow mask covering his face. The two dove straight at each other, crashing together at full speed.

A sonic boom plumed around them as they darted, slashed and countered. Kamina's attacks were fast but brutish and reckless to the extreme while Ichigo was more reserved and used smaller, skilful movements. Both were a devastating force to be reckoned with.

Kamina lashed out with a clawed fist but Ichigo dodged and countered with a quick slice of Zangetsu that severed Kamina's hand from his wrist. This offered no respite though as the appendage instantly grew back and began to drive the shinigami back with blazing lasers.

Ichigo fired off a Getsuga Tensho but Kamina shrugged it off like it was nothing. The hollow replied with a cero that carved a vast trench through the earth. Ichigo flash-stepped away but couldn't avoid the blast completely and was send sprawling across the ground.

"Dammit!" he cursed as he clutched at his now burned arm. Ichigo charged up his power then with a roar went full hollow to match Kamina. His spiky orange hair grew out into a long, flowing mane while is mask sprouted nasty horns. The form was more human looking than Kamina's current body but was still monstrous enough to send a tingle of fear through the spines of the bravest men.

Unlike Kamina though, Ichigo had spend many years mastering his inner hollow and could now control it perfectly.

Kamina howled with beastlike joy and shot forward. Ichigo swatted him aside like a fly but was instantly assailed again from a different angle. Kamina lunged in but this time Ichigo made no move to defend himself. Kamina tore his claws straight through Ichigo's gut but the captain showed no sign of pain. Instead he grabbed both of Kamina's arms and ripped them messily from their sockets. Kamina screamed terribly as blood splashed everywhere. Frantically he dug his razor sharp teeth into Ichigo's shoulder and bit down with all of his strength, crushing the bones beneath. Ichigo drove his horns through Kaminba's eyes in order to drive him back. They both parted and fired a cero, the two blasts met in midair and violently exploded.

Rapid regeneration kicked in and the two hollows began to regenerate all damage. Both knew this and didn't want the other to heal so launched themselves back into combat before the wounds had faded.

Ichigo's centuries of practice were beginning to show now. His movements were quicker and his level of skill far surpassed the berserk rage of Kamina's inner hollow. Chunk after chunk was blown or ripped from Kamina while only scratches breeched Ichigo's defences.

"You can't win, Kamina. Brute strength alone will never be enough."

Kamina stopped his attack and roared mockingly. He cocked back his head and started to charge a blue cero. Ichigo rushed to interrupt the attack but he was too late. Kamina let loose and the cero smashed into the ground, blazing through rock like wool. The beam continued deep underground until a great eruption of lava spewed forth from the gash.

"Shit! If we keep fighting like this then their won't be any Soul Society left to protect!" growled Ichigo to himself. Any move to take Kamina down quickly would no doubt create mass damage in itself though.

As he deliberated what to do, Kamina grabbed him by the head and rammed him through a nearby mountain. Ichigo cursed again loudly. It looked like he had no other choice but to make a mess.

In a flash he was upon Kamina and employed the use of Zangetsu rather than his claws. Kamina, unable to summon Gurren, was forced to defend with his newly re-grown arms. He lost one but the other caught hold of the zanpakuto with the other and managed to drive it backwards to smack into Ichigo's face. Ichigo ignored the impact and rained sword blows down upon his hollow opponent.

Kamina jumped back but Ichigo didn't ease up the relentless cascade of rock splitting blows. The hollow bellowed in rage then caught the blade in its mouth. The metal cut deep but shattered as Kamina bit down.

Before Ichigo could jump back, Kamina grabbed his arms and locked him in place. Golden light began to form from every spike and spine across Kamina's body. A high pitched whining sound started to emanate from the light as it grew and grew.

"Shit!"

A golden apocalypse roared into life, consuming everything in its path. Ichigo was hit and sent several feet back with the force. The energy blazed all around him, reducing vast swathes of earth to dust.

"I won't let it end like this!" Ichigo screamed, fires of defiance burning fiercely within his eyes. Spiral energy swirled around him as he forced his foot to take a step forward. The energy had disintegrated his robes and hair and now burned and blistered his flesh. His hollow mask began to crack as he took another step through the beam toward Kamina.

Step after step, Ichigo inched closer to the source of the chaos, closer to Kamina until once again they were eye to eye.

"This ends now!" roared Ichigo as a section of his mask crumbled. "Limit break! Ultimate Getsuga Tensho!"

Ichigo swung his blade and a tidal wave of black power met with the golden laser. There was a crash that levelled every mountain and tree for a fifty mile radius, then there was only silence.

The silence droned on, going from seconds to minutes. Just as it began to feel like eternity might pass without sound there was a pained cough. Out of the smoke staggered a empowered Ichigo. His entire body was burned terribly and large sections had been badly damaged but hadn't been able to regenerate.

Kamina was laid out a slight distance from the centre of the new crater. Between Belfay, Kamina and Ichigo, the surrounding area was now several miles lower than it had been at the day's dawn. He was still in hollow form and too had suffered grievous damage. His body shook as he tried to rise but the strength required could no longer be mustered.

Ichigo dragged himself toward Kamina then fell to his knees beside him. With the last of his strength he grabbed hold of Kamina's mask and pulled with all of his remaining might. The mask came free with a burst of energy that knocked Ichigo back. Light swarmed over Kamina's body then faded to reveal him to be one more in human form.

Breathing heavily, Ichigo called fourth a Hell Butterfly. It sat gently upon his finger as he spoke. "Send a recovery squad to get us back to the Seireitei. Make sure Orihime is with them."

The black butterfly took off to deliver the message, leaving Ichigo and Kamina alone in the rubble. Ichigo could see no sign of life in Kamina, not even the slightest movement of the chest to indicate breathing. He doubted that the brawler would make it. Going full hollow for the first time really takes it out of a person's body at the best of times but after using so much energy and receiving so much damage, Kamina's body was a wreck.

Ichigo knew that he had to do something but kido was something that he had never gotten good with, especially healing spells. He was more likely to make Kamina implode than to successfully heal even a graze. He couldn't just sit by and do nothing though.

An idea struck him. "Well, here goes nothing." he announced to the silence. He place his hands over Kamina's chest and pumped a dose of spiral energy straight to the man's heart. Energy CPR was a dangerous action for both involved parties but Ichigo could see no other way to keep the renown blue haired lieutenant alive until Orihime arrived.

It was an hour until a squad of shinigami arrived on the scene, led by Orihime. Her look of horror was enough to demonstrate the destruction to the land that had been wrought. Upon seeing two bodies in the distance she dashed toward them with her fellow shinigami rushing to keep up.

_Ichigo, what have you gotten into? What have we all gotten into?_

She breathed a huge sigh of relief when she was finally able to inspect them. Both were alive, but barely. Orihime snapped into action. "Get both loaded up on the cart. I'll heal them as we travel. If we don't get them to the Fourth Division hospital soon then even I might not be able to save them fast enough."

"Yes Sir!" confirmed the assembled shinigami. They set to work immediately loading up the two men into a large cart equipped with basic medical supplies. Orihime jumped on and seconds later a warm orange glow covered the small bay.

000

A world full of pain greeted Kamina as his thoughts rearranged themselves into coherency. He blinked back the bleariness of his vision but it was quickly replaced with a brain pounding headache.

He was in a white room that he knew too well. The hospital. Shifting his position slightly to get a better view of his surroundings he saw that he had a visitor. Sat on a chair beside his bed was Captain Elie Elric. She too wore the hospital gown and her skin still looked pale and battered but she was able to move again which instantly put Kamina at ease.

"You're awake. How are you feeling?" she asked after noticing that his piercing crimson eyes were watching her.

"I feel like I've been on the receiving end of a giga drill break." he commented dryly. "What about you?"

She offered him a tired smile. "I won't be fighting any time soon but I'm stable. I owe you my life."

"Most people do." he answered proudly, his bluster returning. "If you want to start repaying it, how about telling me why I'm in here. I remember fighting that Meta-Spiral son-of-a-bitch and then nothing. The bastard didn't win me again did he?"

Elie frowned. "No. we presume you won that battle. Your inner hollow took over your body. It destroyed the King of the Spirits and nearly cost Captain Kurosaki his life to end your rampage. He is still in critical condition."

Kamina took this news without a single word. He stared blankly at the wall in front of him. He showed no sign of making any reaction so she continued.

"Without the King of Spirits, the universe is starting to fragment and splinter. Every dimension and time are melding together into one frothing hellhole. It has opened up the way to the world of the living though."

Kamina's eyes flickered at that part.

"We can get to the human world now. The captains are about to move out with the objective to kill Simon."

Suddenly Kamina's fist clenched. "Damn it! If I had been stronger none of this would have happened! How could I have let myself do that!"

Accompanying his outburst had been a sudden flare of power that had reduced his bed to matchsticks. He grit his teeth and pulled himself from the wreckage.

"Calm down." she cautioned him. "Your body is in no condition to move let alone do something stupid like that.

"I'm going with them." he declared in a low voice. "If anyone is going to fight Simon then it will be no one but me."

"Don't be an idiot. Even if you were fit enough to fight the strongest man in the galaxy, the other captain's wouldn't let you. After the damage you've caused they are contemplating whether or not to kill you and remove any further threats that you pose." Elie argued sternly.

Kamina staggered to the door. "I don't care. I'll fight every last captain if it's only to stand face to face with Simon. I owe him that much."

Elie laughed. "You are a stubborn man, Kamina Jiha. Let's hope that it pays off."

Kamina whipped off his hospital gown, much to Captain Elric's embarrassment, and threw on his black shinigami trousers. In one swift movement has cape was over his shoulders and his shades were planted firmly over his eyes. With a feral grin he turned to her. "Just who the hell do you think I am?" said cockily before dashing out of the room to find the shinigami captains.

000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000

_A/N: Hey one and all. Welcome to yet another chapter of TTGLX, Brothers to the End. Sorry this chapter is a bit short but I didn't want another Dragon Ball Z type ultra-battle that lasted ages._

_I'm getting my mojo back so hopefully regular updates will soon recommence. On a side note, the next chapter will be a bit different so hopefully you'll all enjoy it. The omake should be up in a few days._

_Thanks for reading, please tell me your thought or ideas. I appreciate all comments and any questions will be answered ASAP so ask away. _

_Enjoy the rest of your week_

_- FWF_


	26. Omake XII

**TTGLX: Brothers to the End.**

Omake Issue 12: Side Characters.

_A/N: Holla amigos! It's omake time again and today I feel like breaking the Fourth Wall. I never did like that wall…_

_000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000_

Down in a dank dark dungeon in the middle of nowhere sat huddled seven men with dejected expressions on their faces. Their shinigami robes were ragged and their spirits were low. Only the sound of dripping water pierced the thick silence.

"We've been abandoned. Left to rot." moaned Kidd miserably. "If it were Kamina who had been captured the he'd have already broken out or been rescued. As side characters though, we've just been neglected."

"Shut up." snapped Kittan. "As side characters go we've done well. We had epic deaths and then got to use bankai straight away. How many characters can boast that?"

Kidd snorted. "That's alright for you, Kittan, but we didn't get quite so epic deaths as you. We just all blew up needlessly in space. Hell, we didn't even get a monotone final few seconds."

"Not true." injected Kittan. "Jorgun and Balinbow both died to protect Gimmy and Darry and they got a monotone scene. Then Makken sacrificed himself to save the entire Arc-Gurren from exploding."

"Yeah!" bellowed the twins together. "We died like men! We saved young ones and died laughing!"

Makken backed up Kittan's point with a nod. His grasp of language was simply poetic.

Kidd was looking agitated now. He looked toward Iraak and Zorthy but they offered him no support. He turned back to their blonde haired leader.

"It's alright for you to make light of us. Why would you care about our plight. You're well set up here with one of the hottest women in the Soul Society fawning over you. We've all been here for ages now and none of the rest of us have had any real action. Where are our women, ya damn lazy writer!" Kidd screamed this last part up to the roof. The others backed away slowly.

"Who is there even to pick from?" commented Zorthy dryly. "Must of the hot shinigami are taken."

"There has to be somebody left!" exclaimed Kidd desperately. "Let's see. Err, squad one has Rangiku and Nia…"

"Taken by Kittan and Simon." pointed out Zorthy helpfully.

"Squad two has Soifon…"

"Yeah, good look with that one."

"Nobody noticeable in squad three. Erm, ah, lots in squad four. Captain Unohana, Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu and third seat Orihime Inoue!"

"If you want to try and woo the most feared woman in the Seireitei then that's your business. Orihime is taken by Ichigo so no look there either." Zorthy continued.

"But Isane is fine?" Kidd pressed.

"Looks like it."

Kidd was encouraged by this. "Right. Fifth Division has Lieutenant Rukia."

"Taken by Renji."

"Sixth and Seventh have none. Eight has Lieutenant Nanao."

"Taken by Captain Kyoraku.

"Nine and Ten none. Eleven only has Yachiru."

"Hell no."

"Twelve has Nemu…"

"Single but emotionally unhinged."

"Still single though."

"True."

"And thirteen has Captain Elric. What's that, hmm, six single women, six of us. Perfect."

"Yeah, perfect." grunted Zorthy. "All we have to do is turn Soifon straight, breech Unohana's emotional shields without meeting an untimely death, make Yachiru stay in adult form long enough for us not to look like paedophiles and get to knew Nemu before she gets to know our insides when we're laid out on a table with all manner of metal stuck in us. Isane and Elie are about the only rational choices.

Kittan coughed, drawing the Team Dai-Gurren members' attention back to him. "Can I just point out that you only need five women."

"What?"

"Well, Makken is already married and has kids." Kittan pointed out.

Makken nodded again, encapsulating an entire epic speech in a single bob of his head.

The others stared at him in silent envy. Kidd's eye began to twitch.

"You all just wait and see." snapped Kidd. "By the end of this story I'll be set. Bet your asses on it!"

Kittan and Zorthy leaned toward each other. "I think that prison is starting to get to him." Kittan sighed. "He think's he's in a book."

"Maybe this is all actually a story, kinda like Last Action Hero." philosophised Zorthy as he puffed on his last dog-eared cigarette.

"While that is a cool movie, I highly doubt that it is relevant to Kidd's delusions."

"If it is though, dibbs on me being Schwarzenegger."

"I have the best action sequences and the hottest woman therefore I would be Schwarzenegger. Not that it matters since it's only Kidd losing his mind." Kittan argued.

"I'm not crazy!" shouted Kidd.

Iraak, who had been quiet up until this point, finally spoke. "Either way guys, I just hope that we're rescued soon."

"Why? This place isn't the worst we've been in." Kittan commented.

"Jorgun and Balinbow are starting to get cabin fever." Iraak said, indicating the hulking twins. Their whole bodies were twitching.

"Need to smash! Need to Bash! Need to move!" They chanted.

Jorgun looked to Balinbow. "Think we should make prison bitch?"

Balinbow turned to Jorgun. "Little one mine!"

"Eep!" squeeked Kidd. "For the love of god get us out of here. KAMINA!"


	27. 15 Girl Power

**TTGLX: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter 15: Girl Power.

Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto placed the final item into her pack and slung it over her shoulder. She slid her zanpakuto through her sash then took a last look through her mirror to ensure that she had not forgotten anything. Her usual bubbly personality was hidden behind a veil of determination.

She wouldn't let him slip away. Not this time. Her mind wandered back through the depths of time to the first man she had ever loved.

_Gin_… she breathed to herself. They had both felt the same and yet neither had acted. They had grown slowly apart until she feared that she didn't even recognise the twisted man who called himself captain of squad three. If only she had know what burdens he bore, what responsibilities he had tasked himself with and suffered alone to achieve. Things could have been so different.

But now he was dead and gone. For years she had remained alone, too scared to commit. She had finally managed to move on and was now threatened with loosing him too. She would not sit back and let it happen this time. She would fight and she would win. That was her promise to herself.

"I'm coming for you, Kittan. Just sit tight."

Rangiku left her room and rushed through the corridors. She had to free the captured Dai-Gurren members quickly or they would never make it in time to help the captains face up against Simon.

Her mind was elsewhere so she didn't notice as somebody stepped out of a doorway to block her path. Rangiku collided with the figure and had to quickly swivel to stop herself falling onto the poor person.

She brushed some loose hair from her eyes to reveal Nia stood before her. The white haired Third Seat was equipped for travel much like Rangiku.

"Nia, what are you doing here? I'd have thought you'd be being briefed alongside the other shinigami embarking to the human world." Rangiku asked softly. She knew that all of this was hard on her as it was her husband that they were setting out to defeat.

The younger girl locked eyes with Rangiku. "I request to accompany you to save my friends."

Rangiku smiled at the sweetness the girl radiated despite her determination. Her flowery eyes burned with purpose but Rangiku could see the pain deep within them. It can't have been easy for her, especially as the only remaining member of Team Dai-Gurren left in the Seireitei.

Rangiku rested her hand on Nia's shoulder. "I know that you want to help but you know as well as anyone that you are the best person to bring some sense to Simon. You need to go to him before things get any worse. Don't worry, I'll get Kittan and the others back here safe and sound."

Nia shook her head sadly. "You do not know Simon like I do. While his mind may not be under his control, it is still Simon and will react like Simon. Once he has set his mind on something, nothing will stop him from achieving it. My words, at least at first, will not free him. I fear that in the case of Simon, the only thing that will put out his fire would be an even greater fire. For that we will need everyone."

A sigh escaped Rangiku's lips. She had guessed as much. Kittan had also said basically the same thing. '_Words have never meant a thing to Simon. He was raised by Kamina after all. Actions speak louder to him than anything. The only thing that will snap some sense back into him will be the Dai-Gurren specialty of a speeding fist to the face.'_

"Are you sure about this?" asked Rangiku. "Once we set off we won't be able to get into the human world until the mission is over, regardless of what happens down there."

"I cannot help Simon, nor can I help Kamina. I will not sit on the sidelines. As the wife of Simon the digger, it is my duty to protect his friends. After all, it wouldn't be much of a welcome party if Simon got here but his friends were already gone."

Rangiku laughed at the simplicity of her argument. For that brief moment she sounded just like Kamina. He was always blustering on about ensuring Simon has the best welcoming party when he should finally crossover. The fact that every member of that crazy Team Dai-Gurren would reshape the very universe with their bare hands just to ensure a good place for their friends to pass on to was simply amazing.

"Alright then. We've wasted enough time. Let's go and gather Simon's welcoming committee." Rangiku said with a playful smile. It was simply impossible to be grim in Nia's presence.

They left the Seireitei quickly and set off through the forest to the location that the Second Division spies had given to them. Their destination was a swamp just beyond the forest to the south where the Meta had apparently set up a base during his short time in the Soul Society.

The two woman made quick time through the trees as both had only a single objective on their minds. Very few words passed between them all day as all energy was used to improve their time.

Twilight gloom began to shroud the air as night started to fall across the world. The shinigami had decided to continue walking through the night rather than stopping to make camp.

There was a rustling behind them and the women whipped their heads around to see a group of thuggish looking men emerging from the undergrowth. All five of them were armed.

"My my. What do we have here?" grinned the man who was clearly the group's leader. "Two young beauties shouldn't be wandering the wild at night. Who knows what could find them."

Rangiku snorted to herself. "We don't have time for this." she snapped agitatedly. "Come on, Nia."

The leader grabbed Rangiku by the arm. "Oh no you don't. now that we've found you, we should at least have a little fun, don't you think?" he smirked suggestively.

"Okay then." smiled Rangiku brightly. She pulled from her pack a pair of expensive stiletto shoes that were a dazzling ruby red then swapped her shinigami sandals for them. Once they were on she struck a provocative pose, revealing the skin of her slender leg through her unusually styled robe. "Does this suit you better?"

"Yeah baby!" he chirped, unable to believe his own luck.

"Good." purred Rangiku. She kicked him in the crotch stiletto point first. The man screamed several pitches higher than his voice had ever gone. The metal tip remained there, Rangiku holding her leg at a ninety degree angle.

"You see, the question isn't 'why are two young beauties out alone at night' but 'why are dumb men out at night when there are some very angry women stalking through the woods'. Now get away from here or I use my sword on the next one." she ordered. To emphasize her point she twisted her foot, producing yet another high pitched scream. The second she removed her foot it was as though the man was a puppet who had just had its strings cut. He flopped to the floor where he assumed the fetal position.

"Anyone else want to have some fun?" Rangiku asked threateningly. A cloud of ash from her zanpakuto rose up around her and took the form of a swarm of stiletto shoes. The men took one look at them and ran away crying.

She turned back to Nia and saw that the younger woman was staring open eyed at her. Rangiku chuckled.

"You have to know how to deal with men if you want to become a successful woman." Rangiku informed. "Haven't you learned anything from our little talks?"

Nia cocked her head slightly in an adorable motion of faint confusion. "I have learnt many strange and wondrous things from our talks but never have I heard of controlling men by using fashionable footwear on their private spots. Should I use this technique to control Simon?"

Rangiku boomed with laughter. "Not if you ever want children."

They continued with their journey as Rangiku gave Nia all of her knowledge on men, going into great detail to ensure that the young woman fully understood her teachings. This information likely caused many mental scars to her innocent mind but she took in her lieutenant's words like a good student.

It wasn't until dawn that the trees became more sparse and the ground became more marshy. They picked their way carefully around the bogs, a perpetual look of disgust plastered across Rangiku's features.

"Of all the places in the world to build a secret base, why did they have to choose such an unpleasant place." frowned Rangiku in displeasure.

"I like it." beamed Nia. "There is so much life all around us. Trees, flowers, moss, fungi, frogs and all manner of insects. Every inch is teaming with life."

"That's the problem." Rangiku muttered as she batted midges away from her face. Considering the state that the human world had been in during Lordgenome's rule though, she couldn't blame Nia for her enthusiasm.

The base was reportedly inside a cave that was hidden from view by a particularly thick patch of gangly trees. To further improve its stealth, the swamp was known for its frequent thick fogs that made finding anything very difficult. The second division were very good at their job though so finding the shrouded entrance wasn't too big an issue.

From a hiding spot nearby, the women watched the two guards stand tiredly at either side of the small cave. Despite their slack posture and bored expressions, both were well armed and looked to be competent fighters. That wasn't to mention that the amount of guards that could be alerted was unknown.

"Rangiku, you took care of the last group so please allow me to gain us entry into this place." Nia asked.

Rangiku assessed the situation and seeing no major issues she nodded her assent. It had been a long time since she had seen Nia in any real action and was curious to see how the young woman had developed as a fighter.

Nia moved from her cover and approached the two men. It was a bold tactic, Rangiku mused. Her anticipation rose as Nia rolled her shoulders and placed her hand onto her zanpakuto. It was going to be a sight to behold…

"Well met everyone. I have come a long way to get her because my friends are being kept within here somewhere. I would be very grateful if you could release them for me. I'm sure they would be very happy too. Will you assist me?" Nia asked with her hands clasped together and a huge sweet smile on her face.

The men stared blankly at her. Rangiku sweat-dropped. Recovering their wit's the guards drew their swords and had them at her throat in an instant. Before they could even speak though, a cloud of ash rushed forward and consumed them.

Rangiku appeared at Nia's side and the ash reformed itself into a blade before she sheathed it. She wanted to snap at her subordinate but the sparkle in her eyes quelled all anger. Instead she just shook her head and motioned for them to slip inside.

Once in it quickly became apparent that most of the cave was manmade. Rough rocks faded into smooth stone walls. The Meta had achieved a lot in such a short space of time. How he could set up such a complex base while tirelessly hunting Kamina was beyond Rangiku's comprehension.

The tunnel opened up into a large stone chamber that was filled with tables and chairs. Occupying said furniture were several dozen men who all wore the spiralling star symbol of the Meta. All sound of banter stopped as the sight of the two shinigami caught their attention.

"Do you think that any of these nice men would help us?" inquired Nia happily.

Rangiku bit her lip. The only other door was opposite them, beyond the host of readied blades.

"We need to hurry through that door. To do that we have to get past these guys without a single one running off. If even one escapes then he could summon reinforcements of do something terrible to Kittan and the others to prevent us from recovering them." she informed Nia quickly.

"There are too many to defeat that quickly." frowned Nia.

"Get ready to run straight for the door on my mark. Your spiral senses are more honed than mine so find the Dai-Gurren boys as quickly as you can. Leave these asses to me." ordered Rangiku.

"Mark!" she shouted. Nia set off at a run toward the armed men. Before she reached the first, Rangiku had shouted a second word. "Bankai!"

Ash erupted from Rangiku's zanpakuto in great gouts, swirling together to take on the form of two giant tigers. Their figures flowed with moving ash as they prowled boldly around their master.

One shot forward while the other remained at Rangiku's side. The first quickly overtook Nia and smashed into the front line of men, tearing them to pieces with every swing of its giant paws. Nia followed in the beast's path of destruction as it cut a swath of death toward the door.

The ash cat swerved left but Nia continued forward, cutting down the last man that stood between her and the door with a nimble slash of her blade. With one single move she threw open the door, barrelled through it and slammed it shut behind her.

She stopped and listened. Screams filled the air as Rangiku's zanpakuto set about its deadly work. She focussed harder, reaching out for the spiral energy of her friends. There! It was faint but they were definitely nearby.

Something was wrong though. The energy felt…strange. Laboured. She ventured further, following the trace of power that led her through the crisscrossing corridors. It led her to another door, this one sturdy and metal. It was locked.

Nia gave the door an angry glare as though it should open or feel her wrath but it didn't move. Instead she pointed her fingers at it and blew the door straight off of its hinges with a kido blast.

Nia gave a startled yelp. Inside was a white room filled with electrical terminals and seven large tanks that bubbled away noisily. The tanks were connected to the machines with dozens of pipes and wires. Green water filled the tanks and within them floated the members of Team Dai-Gurren.

"My friends! What has been done to you?" she gasped, rushing to the closest container.

There was a thud behind her. She span to see a pale skinned man with a black afro. He was smiling at her in a bemused fashion. A sword hung loosely at his side. Nia readied her blade but the man didn't flinch.

"Please do not touch any of the equipment, it is very delicate and finely tuned. A single button could create a feedback that could terminate the lives held within." he told her nonchalantly.

Nia wasn't listening though. She stared with open eyes at his face, abstract horror filling her heart. She knew this man. He was the man in all of the reports. He was a Meta-Spiral. Belfay.

"I do not understand." Nia murmured. "You were fighting against Kamina. How can you be here?"

Belfay offered her a cocky laugh. "I, that is to say Belfay, was fighting with Kamina. Was being the past tense. Now I am here to kill your friends. Simple really."

At that moment Rangiku burst into the room to join them. The two bankai tigers still lurked at her sides. They growled angrily as they sighted the Meta. Rangiku faulted as she saw Belfay, her mind following the same path that Nia's had taken but upon looking past him to see Kittan floating in the tank, she pushed past him to reach the blonde haired gunman pilot.

"Another guest? Well aren't I popular." Belfay chuckled.

Rangiku rounded on him. "What have you done to them, bastard?"

Belfay smiled at her. "They are hooked up to spiral extractors. As these men are powerful fighters and potential spiral warriors, they produce vast amounts of spiral energy. While it may not be as refined as a captain, it is still enough to produce enough power to serve my ends."

"And what are your ends?" asked Nia, her tone now serious.

"Well, as you pointed out, I was fighting against Kamina. My purpose here was to get Kamina to kill the King of Spirits. The chances of anyone surviving such a venture were minimal at best. I obviously did not want to die after everything that I have worked for so I produced a copy of myself. The real Belfay was killed by Kamina while I am but an imprint of his spiral signature."

"This means that I am weak, only a sliver of a person. By gathering together enough spiral energy I will be able to force it inside of me and regain all of my powers. In effect, the true Belfay will be born again. It will cost these men their lives but it will be a worthy sacrifice."

"Like hell I'll let you do that!" Rangiku screamed. One of the ash tigers charged at the Meta but he disappeared from view, reappearing behind her with his sword raised. He was knocked back as the second tiger slammed into him.

Belfay retreated to a safe distance. "You have an interesting bankai, Lieutenant. A two part form, one for attacking while the other defends. Very useful."

"It is called Haitora. Each tiger represents Heaven and Earth. Earth shields while Heaven smites. I can attack my enemies without ever leaving myself open to a counter strike." Rangiku explained.

Belfay shrugged. "While tactically useful, it lacks the power to defeat stronger opponents." A drill tipped pickaxe appeared in his hand. "For example, my attacks far out power yours so should they collide yours will simply shatter before my might."

"Well see about that!" Rangiku hissed. Her tigers leapt at the Meta but he smashed them to pieces with an easy swing of his pickaxe. The beasts burst into ash clouds but instantly reformed to tear into Belfay's flanks.

"Quick! Nia! Free the boys! Leave this bastard to me!"

"You wish." laughed Belfay. "I may only be a fragment of the real Meta-Spiral but my power still far surpasses yours."

Nia rushed to the first machine but Belfay flash-stepped in front of her. He slashed at her but Haitora tackled him first. Nia scanned the machine but had no idea how to work the contraption. Electronics had never been a strong point of hers.

"Hurry up!" Rangiku snapped as her defence tiger only just managed to block an incoming kido blast. She retaliated with a barrage of her own spells that forced Belfay to dash sideways, right into the awaiting claws of Haitora. Ash claws ripped through his chest, causing blood to splatter the walls. He staggered but quickly recovered and shredded the tiger once again.

Following her instincts, Nia set to work on Kittan's console. A green light flashed which she took to be a good sign. Belfay saw this and stepped up his game. Haitora Heaven bounded at him, jaws ready to clamp down on his head. Belfay grabbed it by the fangs and swung the tiger, throwing it straight back at Rangiku. Haitora Earth dived in the way, its twin smashing into it with enough force to destroy both. Before they could reform, Belfay flash-stepped behind Rangiku and drove his pickaxe into her now undefended back.

She screamed in pain and her zanpakuto clattered to the ground after resealing itself. She collapsed into a puddle of her own blood.

Belfay wasted no time with this small victory. He moved straight onto Nia. She turned to face him. The Meta swung his weapon at her face, fully expecting to pierce flesh and shatter bone. Instead his arm was caught in a vice like grip and snapped like a twig under its forceful guidance. Before he could even yelp, Nia's fist slammed into his nose, smashing it completely.

Nia glared at him angrily. Fire burned in her eyes and her voice. "Just who the hell do you think I am? I am Nia, daughter of Lordgenome the Spiral King and wife of Simon the digger! I will not loose to you! Yoake no hana!"

Nia's zanpakuto flashed and transformed, the blade elongating into a spear tipped with a closed flower bud. Colourful petals drifted through the air.

"You think I care who you are? More than that, you think that a shikai can defeat me? I will destroy you!" screamed Belfay. "You are nothing-"

Without hesitation she stabbed him through the heart, her eyes never flickering as she applied deadly force. Belfay gasped but the smile never fell from his face.

"Is that all you've got, bitch?"

She twisted the handle and the bud shot open into a wide flower, shredding the Meta-Spiral's innards. He coughed blood weakly. He tried to reach for Nia but his arms dropped to his side half way. Nia twisted her spear then yanked it free. Belfay fell to the floor coughing up puddles of blood. Brightly coloured flowers began to sprout from the wound to rapidly consume his body.

Her foe dead, compassion flooded back into Nia's eyes as she rushed to Rangiku's side. "Rangiku, are you able to move?"

The lieutenant hissed in pain, the large cut across her back still spewing blood. Nia knelt beside her and placed her hands over the wound. Green energy pulsed around them. She had always been told that she had healing hands. If not for her being deemed as a VIP then she would have been placed in the Fourth Division long ago.

"Forget me." Rangiku managed to say. "Hurry and free the boys. Those machines are still draining them."

Nia ignored her for a few moments until she had stemmed the blood then swapped her attention back to the terminals. Luckily, her time spent around Leeron had manage to give her an instinct on electronics…and several mental scars. Learning the birds and the bees from Ron was an…interesting experience.

The terminal beeped then powered down. The green liquid began to drain through a grate at the bottom of the tank causing Kittan to slowly fall to the ground. Nia moved to check on him. He had a pulse but it was weak.

Rangiku crawled to his side. Gently she stroked his cheek. The soft caress caused Kittan's eyes to flitter open. He looked up at Rangiku, clearly thinking that it was a dream. The peace on his face was so unlike the usually gruff man she knew. Then the pain kicked in and he realised that he was awake.

"What the hell is going on?" he coughed. "Where is that Meta-bastard? I'll kick his ass for putting me in that damn contraption!" Kittan looked past the two woman and saw the corpse of the Meta-Spiral. "Oh."

He struggled to his feet and stretched out his limbs. It was only then that Kittan noticed the gash along Rangiku's back.

"Rangiku! What happened to you?"

"It's just another war wound. A bit of rest and attention from Orihime and I'll be fine. What about you?"

Kittan snorted. "A few scratches from our fight but most of that's healed up. I'm feeling a little weak, but hell, all he took was some spiral energy. I can regenerate fighting spirit easier than I can breath after all." he grinned.

As the couple spoke, Nia continued to release the other Dai-Gurren members from their tanks. One by one they awoke from their slumber, all of them filled with a groggy rage that threatened to boil over there and then. Informing them of the situation with Simon and the fragmentation of the universe didn't help to calm them.

"Damn it! We're out of action for a few days and the entire universe starts to crumble!" grunted Kittan. "Looks like we have no time to rest up. What's the plan?"

Rangiku was now sat in one of the chairs in the main area where the group of thugs had been stationed. Nia stood at her side further healing her wounds. "The captains and lieutenants will likely have just travelled through a rift into Earth. If we hope to defeat Simon then we will have to follow them through."

"So this is what it has all come down to then?" injected Kidd dejectedly. "Fighting for our lives against Simon at the edge of the apocalypse. Not how I imagined my future."

"We born to fight so fight we do!" chanted the twins.

"Yeah. Quit your whining. You can't tell me that you've never wanted to try your hand against Simon." smiled Kittan to the nods of his companions. "This will be the ultimate test of manliness and fighting spirit! Who is with me!"

"Yeah!" boomed the members of Team Dai-Gurren as one.

"Let us go then." announced Nia resolutely. "We will face both Simon and destiny. Just who the hell do they think we are!"

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_A/N: Grrr, I've been wanting to get this chapter out for two weeks now. It has basically been finished since then but the last few paragraphs didn't seem to want to be written down. Oh well, here it is._

_Hope you enjoyed this chapter as it was a change to the usual Kamina/Simon driven chapters. If it goes down well I will start to add more side character chapters to help fill out the story more._

_Thanks for reading, please leave a review with your thoughts and feelings. Omake ideas are still welcome._

_P.S. - If you are a fan of Vic Mignogna, (Voice of Edward Elric in FMA and Tomaki Suoh in Ouran Highschool Host Club among others), then I recorded his panel at the 2012 Manchester MCM Expo so if you want to check it out at: __ watch?v=lZotTVRbR7k__ or look on my Youtube channel: firewolffred._

_Also, if any UK readers are planning a trip down to the London MCM Expo this October then drop me a line as (money providing) I intend to venture down there._

_Until next time, sayonara_

_- FWF_


	28. Omake XIII

**TTGLX: Brothers to the End.**

Omake Issue XIII: Gold at the End of the Rainbow.

_A/N: Hello and welcome to omake 13 - unlucky for everyone! This chapter is based upon narutofan020's idea and is absolutely crazy so hope the randomness doesn't rot too many brains. Read, enjoy, review!_

_- FWF_

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Kamina and Kittan stumbled through the streets of the Seireitri laughing loudly as they chugged back several bottles of sake. They staggered from one side to the other drunkenly, the other citizens steering well clear of the duo.

Their merriment was cut short as a blur of a figure barrelled into them like a speeding truck. Both men hit the ground, pinned by a pink haired devil.

"Pointy-shades! Banana-boy! How are you both?" squealed Yachiru, the troublesome lieutenant of the Eleventh Division and adopted daughter of its captain Kenpachi Zaraki.

"We were fine until you decided to missile glomp us, ya damn pest." grunted Kittan as he lifted the girl off of them with one arm. "Whadda ya want anyway? Devious little punks like you don't approach people unless they're after something."

Kamina stood and looked around, ignoring the girl. "Where is old man Zaraki anyway? You never stray far from him."

Yachiru placed her arms behind her back and put on her sweetest face. "Now that you mention it… Kenny got in another fight and demolished our barracks but that mean stupid face Head Captain whitetard won't give us anymore funds to fix it. He says that he's already paid to rebuild it three times this year."

"And this effects us how?"

"We need help to get some money!" she chirped happily.

"So you want us to enter another fight tournament?" asked Kamina.

"Nope."

"Odd jobs?"

Yachiru shook her head.

"Bank heist?" inquired Kittan passively. Yachiru considered this but then shook her head again.

"No. I want you to help me find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! That should cover our costs." the girl grinned.

Kamina and Kittan just stared at each other. "What?" they muttered simultaneously.

"Everyone knows about the treasure so it must be true."

Kittan snorted. "Nobody has ever found this treasure. Science dictates that a rainbow doesn't even have an end as it is a ring of light."

"You guy can hardly use science as evidence as you have shattered basically every law of physics. Plus its in your motto to kick logic to the curb and do the impossible." Yachiru pointed out.

"She has a point." shrugged Kamina. A massive grin split his face. "Hell, if anybody in the omniverse can find it, it would be us. After all, if it works the same as everything else we've ever done then as long as we believe it exists then it will."

"Yeah!" cheered Yachiru enthusiastically.

Kittan still looked sceptical. "But don't we need a rainbow first. It hasn't rained in weeks."

"Leave it to me!" announced Kamina confidently. Without warning he opened fire upon the clouds with a hail of cero blasts. The fluffy white mounds began to froth and boil, darkening and spreading like a disease across the sky. Within seconds they burst and started to spill their load across the Seireitei in a torrent of rain. A few blasts more and the clouds dispersed to reveal the sun. as if on cue a rainbow began to form in the wake of the clouds.

Yachiru took off at a run. "Come on! We don't have much time until it will disappear! Hurry up slow pokes!"

So off they went, storming through the streets toward the end of the rainbow. Yachiru sat upon Kittan's shoulders, kicking him repeatedly in the ribs to encourage him to greater feats of speed.

It took them a while, but eventually the ark of the rainbow descended to just beyond the next hill. They crested the mound and came to a halt. Just in front of them, defying all scientific conventions, the rainbow rose up out of the ground and arched high up into the sky. Beneath the rainbow sat a large black cauldron filled with sparkling gold.

"It worked! It really worked!" laughed Kittan. He threw Yachiru off of his shoulders and charged toward the gold, only to be dropkicked by a green blur.

Kamina and Yachiru caught up and stood face to face with the assailant. It was a small man with dark brown skin, green clothes, a bald head and an orange beard. A green top hat sat neatly upon his head.

"Who the hell are you?" Kamina asked as he helped Kittan back to his feet.

"Me? Who am I? I'm Samuel L Jackson, you blue haired bitch!" shouted the strange man.

Tumbleweed drifted past as silence filled their surroundings. "The green clothes, orange beard and abundance of clovers while guarding gold at the end of the rainbow suggests otherwise." stated Kamina dryly.

The man took a threatening step forward. "The L stands for motherfecking leprechaun. I'm not about to let you punks touch my gold so run the feck away and go cry to your mommies."

Kamina's eye began to twitch. "That's it! You have pissed off the mighty Kamina! For such a heinous crime I'm gonna kick the crap outta you!"

"Oh yeah? Let's see you try. Avengers assemble!" roared Jackson.

Out of nowhere six figures exploded onto the scene. The one at the front wore shining red and gold armour that looked to be some kind of exo-battle armour. To his right was a tall, well built man with flowing blonde hair and a cape. In his hands was a sweet looking hammer. On the other side was another tall man, this time in a blue skin-tight suit with a large red, white and blue shield. On the far right was a handsome man with a bow while to the left was a gun wielding woman in formfitting leather. Covering the group's six was a giant bulk of a man with unhealthy looking green skin.

Kittan drew his sword and glowered at the men. "So, you freaks want a fight do you?"

Yachiru giggled. "You guys look silly. You're no super team. Watch and learn." She placed her fingers in her mouth and whistled, the sound splitting the air for miles. At first nothing happened but soon a slight rumbling shook the ground. Very quickly this evolved into a near earthquake as a cloud of dust rose on the horizon. Creating this dust storm was a figure running at high speed toward them.

Kenpachi skidded to a halt at Yachiru's side. "I was wondering where you'd gotten off to. Whadda you want?"

"Kenny, these mean men are threatening me. Show 'em who's boss." she yipped.

Kenpachi examined the men lazily. "They don't look worth fighting." he grunted.

The man in the metal looked offended at that statement. He held out his arm. "Tank missile!" A dart shot from his wrist and hit the captain. A fiery explosion ensued. "Now who is unworthy of fighting?"

The flames cleared and Kenpachi was stood in the same position as before. He snorted then exhaled, his breath coming out in smoke rings. "This might be fun after all." he grinned as he leapt upon the group.

Kamina offered the leprechaun a cocky smirk. "Well those guys won't be bothering us again. That leaves only you."

"Get ready to feel the force motherfecker! The force of my foot up your ass!" Samuel Leprechaun Jackson powered forward and kicked out but Kamina dodged then countered with a punch. It wasn't his style to fight an unarmed opponent with his zanpakuto.

"Tough little prick, aren't you?" taunted Jackson again. "We'll see how tough you are when I cock-slap you with my snake!"

Kamina had his sword drawn in an instant. "You even think about it and I'll cut it off and shove it down your throat you bastard!"

Jackson reached into his trousers and pulled out a metal shaft. To Kamina's relief, it was only a light sabre. The weapon flared into life but instead of a focussed laser blade, a large snake sprung out hissing. Before Kamina could process this, Jackson had swung the weapon and slapped Kamina sharply across the cheek with the serpent.

"You didn't." growled Kamina menacingly.

"Oh I did."

"I'll kill you! My sword will cut you into ribbons that I will wrap around a maypole then shove said maypole up your ass!" Kamina raged.

The two men rushed at each other like charging bulls but a sudden pumping click caused Jackson to skid to a stop. He turned his head slightly to see Kittan stood behind him, his shikai shotgun levelled at the leprechaun's head. The shinigami waved pleasantly.

"Son of a b-"

Kittan pulled the trigger and reduced Samuel Leprechaun Jackson to a stain on the ground.

Meanwhile, Kenpachi's fight was nearly over too. The woman and archer were out at the start line, Kenpachi's overpowering spiritual pressure too much for the unaltered humans to deal with. The well built man with the cape had his hammer lodged down his throat while Mr blue suit was currently wearing his shield as a neck collar. The green monster was sprawled out at the bottom of a crater groaning loudly. Only the metal suited man remained.

The man tried to fly away but Kenpachi flash-stepped above him only to slam him back down to earth. Before the man could recover, Kenpachi drove his hand into the armoured chest and pulled out a glowing cylinder that looked like an elongated LCD light. The man began to spasm.

"Was that important? Poor you." sneered the giant captain before throwing the core over his shoulder. It arced through the air then hit the green muscle freak on the head with a sharp thud.

The shinigami gathered around the pot of gold. Eyes sparkling, they admired the treasure like children in a candy shop. Each of them marvelled at the wonders they could buy.

Kamina turned his attention away from the gold and toward their fallen foes. "What do we do with these bozos. We can't just leave them here."

Yachiru skipped over to the battered warriors. "I know what to do. Leave it to me!" she drew her zanpakuto and pointed it at the collection of moaning bodies. "Sparkle, NyanNyan!"

Her sword began to spew rainbows that streamed out and hit the six Avengers. Their bodies were covered head to toe in the swirling rainbow until the light faded. Were six humans had lain, now only six furry kittens remained. Each bore the features of the original Avenger, only with four legs, paws, cat ears and tail.

"They're sooo cute!" squealed Yachiru as she ran up to them and gathered each into her arms. "They'll make such good additions to my collection."

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_A/N: Sad news everyone. I'm afraid that this is the last omake of 'Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Brothers to the End'. The remaining few chapters will all run into each other as the final climax of the story plays out so any interruptions would just disrupt the flow. Also I (hopefully) start university in September so I don't know what my schedule will be like. For the first month at least I will need to adjust my time and find when I can best get to writing. Hopefully Brothers to the End will be finished before then._

_Hope you enjoyed the omake. Please leave a review._

_- FWF_


	29. 16 All the lights in the sky

**TTGLX: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter 16: All the lights in the heavens are our enemy.

The bustle of frantic activity filled the metal walls that surrounded Head Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya and Commander-in-Chief Rossiu Adai. They stood together on the vast bridge of _The Grand Spiral_. The space ship was of the same class as the _Arc Gurren _but was a modern build with all of the technological knowledge of the combined spiral races. Despite this though, the ship was still nothing compared to the _Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren_.

"Thank you for allowing us use of your ship." Hitsugaya said to the leader of the spiral forces.

Rossiu frowned. "The fact that you are here means that things are worse than we could have feared. You and your men's spiral energy will greatly help against Simon. But still, his power dwarfs ours."

"He cannot take on the entire universe alone. We may not be as powerful as him, but all of the spiral races united under one cause is unstoppable. One man can only achieve so much. As leader of Team Dai-Gurren, Simon should know that more than most."

"Speaking of our allies, why aren't Kamina and the others with you?" asked Rossiu.

It was Hitsugaya's turn to frown. "We have had some…issues, ourselves. The rift that allowed us easy entry into your room was created when Kamina killed our king. While practical at this moment, the rifts will quickly shatter reality. With this in mind, even if we stop Simon from creating the Spiral Nemesis, the universe is still not safe."

"The fates seem to take amusement in our struggles." Rossiu observed dryly. "We never seem to keep the peace very long. The power of the spiral drives us to action even in times of peace. Maybe we will drive ourselves into extinction however hard we fight it."

"You may be right, but that won't stop us from fighting against it. Spiral races are stubborn like that." Hitsugaya mused.

One of the young officers that manned the consoles that filled the bridge shouted over to Rossiu. "Sir! All systems are ready. Would you like me to patch you through to the fleet?"

Rossiu nodded his consent. The officer clicked furiously for a few seconds then offered the president a thumbs up. Several machines powered up and the large screen that stood before Rossiu began to show the images of several of the Spiral forces' top commanders. The diversity of species was amazing but all of them held that rough humanoid shape that denoted vast spiral powers.

"My fellow spiral brothers and sisters," Rossiu began. "Our forces, five thousand ships strong, have gathered here with one purpose in mind. The Spiral Nemesis must be stopped. Are you all prepared for the task ahead of us?"

A multitude of green lights lit up to confirm the other ships were ready.

"Okay. It is time to put all of this to an end. All guns, target the Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren. On my mark. Fire!"

000 000 000

Simon stood confidently atop the Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren's bridge as he surveyed the darkness of space around him with the eyes of a hawk. The battleship was so vast that it had its own gravity field and atmosphere, allowing the man to stand comfortably on the outside.

Boota stood close at hand in a crisp uniform, his stance rigid. At no point did he take his eyes off of his captain.

The darkness of space erupted into a maelstrom of fire. Against all conventions, the all enclosing silence was shattered by the roar of ungodly explosions. Balls of flame the size of planets pounded the Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren but reality-altering shields sent the projectiles scattering throughout the abyss. Around Simon, the Super Galaxy opened fire, adding to the cacophony of chaos.

"Screening shield class eight!" shouted one of the terrified crew that had been left alive to help pilot the ship.

"Mirror armoured plating detaching!"

"Block 3865 has been hit!" one man all but screamed.

Simon strode forward without the slightest hint of emotion. "Damage?"

"Minimal but our thruster flame is visible now!" reported the horrified crewman.

"Stand fast men. Let's teach them a little something. Teach them exactly who they're facing." commanded Simon with a smirk. He stopped beside Boota and his smile widened as he surveyed the carnage surrounding them.

"Enemy fleet size is off the charts!" growled a young woman.

Boota too examined the vast madness filling space. "So, all the lights in the heavens are our enemy now."

Simon repeatedly began to lightly threw his core drill a few inches into the air before catching it again. He laughed at Boota's remark. "Yeah, but they are worthy opponents." He clenched his fist around the drill, his demenour changing completely with the single motion. "I'll use the fabric of space time to wring them out of existence!" he snapped before turning on his heel and walking away.

Boota took command of the bridge crew. "Alright! Prepare the maelstrom cannon! Target the great dimensional waterfall!"

By now Simon was stood beneath the grand flag bearing the flaming skull of team Dai-Gurren. "Gurren Lagann, spin on! Just who the hell do you think I am!"

The eyes of the Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren flashed then fired a space sizzling beam of white light that turned everything it touched into dust.

"Let's see just how fearsome you are, nemesis." chuckled Simon. "I always fought to live but now I realise that I live to fight. Push me to the limit damn you!" roared Simon to the flaming dark. "Where are you, Kamina?"

000 000 000

Kamina sped through the streets of the Seireitei, his goal all too clear in the sky above. A large crack seeping purple light distorted the heavens, images of another world just visible beyond.

Shinigami filled the streets trying to keep the gathering crowds from erupting into panic. He pushed past shinigami and civilian alike, giving the more whiny of the populous a good shove in order to stop their complaining. The Seireitei was in a state of near chaos and it was only a matter of time before things really sparked.

Up ahead was a cordoned off area that was guarded by several grim faced shinigami. The area stood directly below the rift. Some machinery was set up everywhere, all of them manned by members of the Twelfth Division. One of the machines appeared to be an elevator platform to access the rift.

Kamina could hear raised voices now.

"Whadda ya mean they left without us? We're the damn heroes!"

"Calm down. We can catch up in no time."

A group of shinigami appeared and moved to halt Kamina as he strode forward but he pushed them aside without slowing down. They called after him and he ignored them completely. He hopped over the barrier and approached the overly loud group.

"Hey hey hey! Why all the commotion you bozos? You stuck already?"

Kittan whipped around. "Kamina! What the hell took you so long? Leaving the women to come and get us. What kind of man does that?"

"What kind of man needs saving by a woman?" Kamina quipped as he pushed his way to the front of the assembled shinigami. He eyed up the rift above them. "So Simon is just the other side of this thing? I suppose we've got no time to waste."

A female shinigami holding a handheld device stepped forward. "The preparations are ready. Grapearls are on standby to transport you up to the ship that the captains are aboard. We can raise the lift as soon as you are all ready."

"Finally!" grunted Kittan.

"Take us up." Kamina ordered as the team gathered on the elevator. It began to rise up, taking them ever closer to there destiny.

Rangiku eyed Kamina all the while. He wasn't aware of any of the discussions that had been held about what to do with him after Simon was defeated. Hell, he shouldn't have even been allowed out of the hospital, although she doubted that that would have stopped Kamina. None of the Team Dai-Gurren members knew, not even Nia. He was too dangerous…

Kamina noticed her looks. "What's on your mind?" he asked in that big brotherly style of his.

"Ah. It's nothing. I was just thinking how hard all of this must be for you." she muttered quickly.

Kamina laughed. "To be honest, I'm kinda looking forward to it. I get to go toe to toe with Simon for the first time. What better an opponent than my own bro. His heart isn't in all of this destruction, you see. I've just got to go and slug him, make him remember who he really is. I get a brawl of true manliness and get to be the hero again."

The lift came to a sudden halt. It rested right beside the pulsing rift, mere inches away from the sickly light. Without hesitation Kamina stepped into the light with a maniacal laugh. "Ready or not, here I come, bro…"

000 000 000 000 000

_A/N: *sigh* -insert generic sorry for long upload time-_

_I had wanted to finish this story in two big chapters but I'm just not writing at the moment no matter how hard I try. I figured uploading this was better than nothing so here it is._

_On a side note, I've just returned from Alcon 2012 and will be uploading Kyle Herbert, LittleKuriboh, Shadyvox, Xthedarkone, Faulerro and MasakoX panels to my Youtube channel. Go check them out!_


	30. 17 Here we are at the end of it All

**TTGLX: Brothers to the End.**

Chapter 17: So, here we are at the end of all.

The deadly explosions that shook the galaxy were nothing more than background noises to Simon now. He stood, not really watching anything, his eyes staring off into the distance. Without any visible reason, his face changed to a wide grin. Laughing aloud, he turned to Vale.

"Kamina is finally here. Now the fun can begin."

000

Kamina shifted his weight within the confines of the cockpit. It felt good to be back in the pilot's seat of a mecha. The grapearl didn't have the same feel as a good old fashioned gunman but he wasn't about to complain.

The grapearl was a new model that was as close to Gurren Lagann as science could manage. It looked the part but Kamina could tell that it was still just an inferior rip-off. The vast powers of Lagann were yet to be accurately replicated.

He and the other members of Team Dai-Gurren were flying through the air, each commanding their own grapearl towards the capital ship where Rossiu and the other shinigami directed the galactic battle above. Rangiku, unable to pilot a mecha, chose to accompany Kittan, sitting on his lap much to his distraction.

They had left Earth's atmosphere and now sped through the vast darkness of space, distant stars all around them like a million tiny eyes glaring down at them. It was all truly beautiful. The explosions that outshone them all made it all the more beautiful to Kamina.

The screen in front of him flickered to life, revealing the chiselled face of Rossiu. Time had turned him into the spitting image of his father back in Adai village. Beside him was the stern featured Head Captain Hitsugaya.

"Kamina. What are you doing here?" began Hitsugaya. "When we left you were in no fit state to fight. Even if you had been, after what you'd done, letting you fight would be reckless. I left guards to ensure that you didn't leave the hospital."

Kamina shrugged. "All the good fighters came here." he said passively.

"I left fifty men."

"Like I said, all the good fighters are here."

"So on top of breaking out of prison and killing the King of Spirits you've also incapacitated fifty of my men?" sighed Toshiro, his tone a mixture of anger and weary resignation.

"You make it sound so bad when you say it like that." Kamina answered offhandedly. He laughed lowly. "Even had you left all thirteen captains to stop me from coming, I'd have still fought my way here. You know that nothing could keep me from this fight."

"Either way, it doesn't matter at this point." Rossiu interjected. "Our forces massively outnumber Simon and the Meta-Spirals but as you know, that means nothing to a man like Simon. His one ship is more than proving a match for the entire spiral race fleet. We need to get the upper hand fast before his spiral powers can escalate further."

Kamina nodded, knowing all to well how little numbers meant to Simon once he had set his mind to something. "Don't worry. I'll handle Simon."

"You are certainly are best hope, however much we may dislike it. That is why I am leaving combat command to you. Gimmy and Darry were meant to be our alpha pilots but they are too injured to be given that key role. If anyone can defeat Simon, then it is you."

Kamina looked around him, saw the fear in the men and women's eyes, the doubt and nerves barely in check at the prospect of fighting against the strongest man in the universe. The crew were scared, and that fear was limiting the ship's power levels. He smiled to himself. This was where he belonged.

"Lead the way." he announced confidently. "Don't worry about a thing. I taught Simon everything that he knows. I was the one who dragged humanity out of the dirt. I formed Team Dai-Gurren. I captured Gurren and created Gurren Lagann. I won us the Dai-Gunzan, defeated the general Thymilph and came up with Simon's signature move the Giga Drill Break in the process. After I died I became a shinigami, reformed an army out of the shattered remains of the Seireitei and killed the menace Aizen. I beat the Anti-Spirals in that world only to force my will back into this world to free Simon and the others from a mind labyrinth then provided the power to fuel the Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. You think Simon is stronger than me? I ask you one question: Just who the hell do you think I am!"

He left the room without a backward glance. The sudden charged sensation that sparked through the air was enough to know that his words had had an impact. It was all mindless bluster of course, but that didn't matter. If it helped with moral he would brag himself to the status of God.

Despite the battle, it was Rossiu who led the group of shinigami through the ship. Kamina looked around him in every room they passed but none of the faces looked familiar to him.

"Where is everybody? Team Dai-Gurren wouldn't miss this fight for the world." Kamina asked. He longed to see his old friends once again.

Rossiu smiled sadly. "You forget yourself, Kamina. Fifty years have passed since you were last here. We have all grown old while you have stayed the same. As we speak, Dayakka is on his deathbed, barely able to breath let alone fight. Leite is with us and hasn't mentioned anything but I know she too is falling ill and is near death.

Kamina's shoulders slumped slightly. "What about Yoko. Is she here?"

"Yeah. Yoko is on the ship. She doesn't want you looking for her though." Rossiu answered. "She wants you to remember her as she was, not as an old woman. It's just female vanity but it means a lot to her."

Kamina shrugged with a sad smile. "Yeah, that sounds just like that woman. I suppose after I've made her wait this long, she's entitled to make me wait a while longer."

Rossiu took them to an elevator which he said would take them straight to the core of the ship. As they descended he turned to Kamina. "You seem to be taking all of this fairly well. I imagined that you'd be a lot more…boisterous."

"Some things don't need big words." Kamina said with surprising calm. "I'm always the big talker who inspires others into action. I think that this time it will need something extra."

Rossiu nodded. He keyed in a code upon a bulky titanium door and the metal slid open, revealing a large chamber filled with a jumbled assortment of wires and cables. Hundreds of lights flashed and flickered, casting the room in an unstable glow. At the chamber's centre was a gunman the like of which Kamina had never seen.

Its edges were a constant flowing line, sleek and streamlined like some demon of the deep ocean. Snow white metal was inlaid with silver and gold, Kamina just being able to make out his flaming skull symbol and the names of every member of Team Dai-Gurren who had died. Many he did not recognise but far too many he did, his own included. The mecha's body face was a fanged devil, grinning like a maniac while its head was that of an angel with a serene expression. Curved blades extended out from bulbous shoulder pads while thickened sections of armour covered key areas. All of the joints were covered by fish scale armour so that no section was vulnerable yet still allowing smooth agility.

"Seinaru Gadian." Rossiu informed, offering a name to the miracle of technology. "It is the peak of spiral technology. Every scientist and engineer in the galaxy came together in the creation of this gunman. It is equipped with a energy skin shield, spiral dome shield, spirit blade, spiral round precision machine gun, speed boosters and spiral overdrive. It also has three resonant generators that take in spiral energy from the pilot and multiplies the power."

Kamina couldn't help but grin. "So this is what you came up with to rival Gurren Lagann? I can work with this."

Rossiu turned to the other shinigami. "There are other gunmen in the adjoining rooms, though they are more basic models. The Seinaru Gadian is hooked into the ship's command console but all of the gunmen can offer support by producing more power." He turned back to address Kamina but the pilot had already fought his way through the wires and was pulling himself into the mecha.

The gunman's monitors flashed on at recognition of his presence. Kamina eased into the seat and grabbed onto the handles. He did a quick run through of the controls before he was satisfied that the machine would be fit for purpose.

"Let's do this!"

The lights suddenly flickered off, not just in the Seinaru Gadian but in the entire ship. There was a moment of total darkness then the monitors flashed back on, all showing an image of Simon's face.

"Kamina. It's been a long time, brother." Simon said with a small smile.

Kamina keyed himself into the system, his face appearing beside Simon's upon all of the screens. "I leave you alone for five minutes and you slide into bad habits. Your pretty useless without me."

Simon laughed, a strange, hollow sound that seemed to rattle through the entire ship. "Maybe you're right. I am useless. It was my fault that you died after all. I killed Lordgenome which led to the Anti-Spiral invasion. I fought to save those that I cared for and in the end you all died anyway."

"Simon…" Nia breathed, her eyes watering as she gazed at one of the screens. Rangiku wrapped an arm around her reassuringly.

Simon shook his head, suddenly angry. "But do you know what? I did everything I could for humanity and was it ever appreciated? No! Nobody ever had my back outside of you and Nia. Back in Giha I was the best driller, I was the reason that we had so much room to live comfortably. Did anyone care? No, I was just dirty, smelly Simon. When we broke through the surface and formed Team Gurren in earnest did I earn any respect? Only you believed that I was fit to pilot Lagann while everyone else wanted me replaced with someone else."

"I messed up and you ended up dead. I was in a really bad place but everyone ignored me, left me to wallow in my own misery. I recovered with Nia's help and defeated Lordgenome, forged a new civilisation but the second that the Ant-Spirals appeared, humanity blamed me for everything. I saved them from the mugann and received hatred for my efforts. Rossiu imprisoned me, sentenced me to death! I saved you all time and time again, slowly loosing everyone that I cared for until I was alone in the world. Fifty years have passed and my name had been nearly forgotten!" he bellowed, his spiralling eyes glowing menacingly.

Kamina was silent for a moment. He understood Simon's words all to well. Those very thoughts had meandered through his own mind on more than one occasion. Maybe it would be better to start the universe fresh. That wasn't the way Kamina rolled though.

"So here we are at the end of it all. You really intend to go through with this? Those Meta got to you real good didn't they." Kamina stated in a calm tone. "Let's settle this like real men then."

"My thoughts exactly." grinned Simon. "Today I will finally step out of your shadow and burn it into oblivion."

Kamina keyed in a series of codes and the entire ship shook. He allowed his spiral energy to fill the Seinaru Gadian, felt his power grow as it bounced through the mecha's systems. The spacecraft morphed around him, the sleek ship design sliding into a humanoid form.

Arc Seinaru Gadian. The gunman strongly resembled the Seinaru Gadian but it also held features from other key gunmen from the old days. From each shoulder erupted bright golden spikes like those of the King Kittan. Over a fang filled mouth was a grill like visor that was usually sported by the Dayakkaiser.

Kamina flexed his muscles and the giant robot boxed the air. Without even waiting for further practice he threw the mecha into overdrive and darted straight at the much larger Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren.

Green light flared around the gunmen as it hit the Super Galaxy's spiral shields. Kamina may not have had Simon's drills to break through but he did have determination by the bucket load. He wedged the mecha's sword through the dome of energy and with a roar, carved a hole through the shield.

The Super Galaxy opened fire, hundreds of spiral rounds thundering into the Arc Seinaru Gadian's own hastily erected shield.

"Everybody!" Kamina bellowed into the fleet's communication channel. "Set you guns to target vector 2866194. Open fire!"

Space lit up with glaring light as hundreds of ships unloaded their weapons at a single spot on the Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren. The beams and missiles combined together midway to create one raging storm of superheated death. Kamina jerked the Arc Seinaru Gadian away and the beam passed straight through the pierced spiral shield before it had had chance to regenerate.

Metal melted on impact and fierce explosions burst throughout the Super Galaxy. A clear hole was visible that went straight through the planet sized ship. Cheers rose up through every com-channel as the allied forces celebrated such a decisive blow.

Simon's voice cut across the cheers, silencing every last man. "You always could utilise numbers to their max, Kamina. When you led we had plans and every person had a role to play. People always trusted you and you brought out the best in us all. When I took over we fought using raw brute strength. I destroyed everything single headedly while the others were merely support to take care of the cannon fodder. You relied upon others while I relied upon myself. Now we will see which way is truly best."

The Super Galaxy began to unfold, limbs stretching out from its insides, its hands bigger than the entire Arc Seinaru Gadian. Any damage that had been caused disappeared in a torrent of flexing metal until a pristine mecha stood glaring at the assembled army of relatively tiny ships. The Super Galaxy Gurren Lagann.

Lazily the star-shaded mecha lifted an arm. A neon green beam shot out from its palm and engulfed several of the ships before they could even react. The remaining fleet retaliated with a firestorm of missiles but a raised arm blocked them as easily as spit balls.

"We can't fight him like this." growled Rossiu. "We need to level the playing field or this will be over before we can even get started."

"Leave that to me." Kamina said, sweat already beading his forehead. He swapped to the general comm again. "Everyone, route all power to your shields and cluster the ships together."

"That is madness! We would be sitting ducks!" roared one of the many commanders.

"Madness? This is-"

Rossiu interrupted Kamina in a hard voice. "Do as he says."

The fleet began to move closer together, clustering around the Arc Seinaru Gadian like children around their mother. The Super Galaxy Gurren Lagann erupted with thousands of drills that each fired an emerald laser out at the assemblage of spacecraft. Hundreds of shields blared as the beams struck. Several were just too weak to hold, overloading and allowing the streaks of death to tear through the ships beyond. Most of the shields held though, every ounce of extra power fuelling them.

"What are you planning?" frowned Hitsugaya as he scanned the numerous monitors that listed off battle positions and statistics. "You can't possibly intend to-"

"We're gonna combine!" roared Kamina. His voice echoed through space as every speaker on every ship boomed out his words.

"We don't have any drills. How can you expect us to combine without Lagann?" snapped Rossiu.

Kamina laughed openly in his face. "Drills don't stem from a single robot, they come from a man's burning soul! With this many raging souls together, a few drills will be child's play!"

He watched as the spiral power gauge on his screen filled, growing every second as more of his power was forced into the machine. It filled completely then changed colour, filling the dial with a rainbow of lights that threatened to overwhelm the cockpit. With a strained grin he pulled at a lever and hundreds of drills tore out from the Seinaru Gadian, through its larger Arc version then out into space. Like homing missiles the endless drills snaked through the darkness, seeking out the other ships and slamming into them to connect to their mainframes.

The ships were all drawn to a central epicentre. More drills lashed out, wrapping and weaving through metal in once great latticework of parts. Metal slid and twisted, merging the fleet into a single vast silhouette.

The mecha was a complicated labyrinth of designs, colours and metals. It held a quality about it where, viewed from different angles, the mecha seemed to change shape. Just by moving your head the space robot seemed to flow around reality as though it were made from water.

"This is the essence of all spiral beings. A monument to manly spirits and the power of combining. This is the _Ultimate Spiral_! Just who the hell do you think we are!"

"Impressive." Simon chuckled over the speakers. "It looks like you haven't lost any of your determination to prove the laws of physics wrong."

"Laws are meant to be broken. Only honour can really guide a man's life." Kamina retorted. Metal slid across the planet sized mecha, centring upon its right arm until it extended yet further forward to form a sleek sword. "Honour and a good blade that is."

"I couldn't agree more." said Simon as the Super Galaxy's hands became encased within drills.

Both mecha shot through space and clashed blades with the force to shatter continents. Sword and drill battled for dominance in a series of vicious counters and riposte. Every movement shook the planets around them.

Kamina worked the controls furiously, all of his past experience flooding back with every impact. Simon had spent a lot longer piloting gunmen though and that refined skill was all to apparent as the two men brawled.

"This is getting out of hand!" Rossiu grunted from the command deck. "Kamina, we need to end this before Simon can gather any more power."

"The commander is correct." came a voice that Kamina recognised as Nemu's. "Simon's spiral levels are nearing their peak. The energy levels in the air are already hitting danger points. The Spiral Nemesis is mere minutes away at this rate."

"Damn." Kamina muttered. "I'd hoped for more time." He scanned the readouts and did some quick guesswork in his head. "It'll have to do." he concluded aloud. "Men and women of the united spiral races, how about you lend me a little strength. I'm gonna do something a little crazy but I need a power boost to do it. Remember, believe in the me who believes in you!"

"Sorry to do this to ya, Simon." Kamina said slowly. His eyes were set and sweat beaded his forehead as his grip tightened on the controls.

The head of the mismatched mecha popped from its shoulders, blaring blue energy bursting forth from the neck. Each limb broke away in a similar fashion, more energy gushing out in great torrents that coiled around the twisted metal of the _Ultimate Spiral_, wrapping around it until a plasma like cocoon had formed around it. The strange shell pulsed, growing with each heartbeat motion.

The _Super Galaxy Gurren Lagann_ whipped into motion, lunging at the barrier with a giga drill break. As metal impacted with energy, the drill dissolved like ice thrust into a lit fire. Despite this, Simon's mad laugh echoed though every comm channel.

The view of the _Super Galaxy Gurren Lagann _shrank as the _Ultimate Spiral _expanded chaotically outward, smashing planets to dust and extinguishing stars with every passing second. Key systems were held safely within gigantic spiral shields but the power required to contain them was simply too great to hold for long.

"_Tengen Hogo Ultimate Spiral._" intoned Rossiu from the command deck as he surveyed the mecha. Silver armour in the style of old Earth samurai warriors floated through space connected by blazing blue energy. Entire galaxies orbited around the colossus as oversized joints flexed and cracked.

"Heaven Protecting, eh." grunted Kamina amusedly. Sweat drenched his entire body, dripping from every point onto the electrics around him. His hands shook but his cocky smile was unshakable.

Hitsugaya's voice rang through the speakers. "We have to strike now! Simon can't have time to gather his strength."

Rossiu nodded. "Everyone! Focus your power. Kamina, finish this!"

The _Tengen Hogo_ summoned a katana that spanned several galaxies. The blazing blade glittered in the light of a million suns. Kamina grasped the weapon with practiced ease and with a single deep breath he charged.

The sword cleaved through space like a meteorite, dwarfing the tiny dot that was the _Super Galaxy_ _Gurren Lagann_. The blade hit the dot and stopped with the sudden lurch of a car hitting a wall, throwing the crew around wildly. Cameras zoomed onto the Super Galaxy revealing the mecha to be holding the blade between the palms of both of its hands.

"Do not underestimate me!" came Simon's thunderous voice. "Don't forget that I have the Meta-Spirals as my crew, each of whom is as strong as your entire gathering. We are the next step of evolution. We are the Meta and we will forge a new universe of peace!"

Simon twitched the controls and the _Tengen Hogo_'s katana shattered into a thousand shards that drifted through the depths of space like sakura leaves in a breeze. The power levels being emitted from the _Super Galaxy _spiked, charging the very void around it with bristling energy. Space its self seemed to crack and split around the mecha.

"He can't be!" stammered Rossiu weakly.

"He damn well can." Kamina snapped down the comm channel. "Simon managed to do it last time with the few members of Team Dai-Gurren and the help of my spirit. What he could do with even a handful of Meta I don't know."

"Spiral readings are at critical levels," came the calm voice of Nemu. "The unravelling effect on the fabric of the universe is becoming uncontrollable. I estimate that we have under an hour of existence remaining."

The _Super Galaxy _exploded outward in a tsunami of green energy. _Tengen Hogo_ made a hasty leap back to avoid the wave but was still hit and sent somersaulting through the abyss. The energy condensed and reformed as a goliath sized humanoid of pure spiral power.

"We can't match that power," Hitsugaya growled. "And even if we did manage to, the Meta would just release more power and create something even bigger. They are playing with us like we are nothing but a mouse."

Kamina cursed underneath his breath. Hitsugaya was right. Kamina was confident that he could push them into super mode but that would be their max. Simon could push on indefinitely, especially with the Meta at his back. They needed a plan that would defeat Simon without relying on brute strength.

"Launch Bay Zero Alpha 229 is seeing activity." Nemu's voice cut through Kamina's plans. "A single Gunman has been launched without clearance. Its tag shows it is the _Yoko M Tank_."

Kamina's heart lurched. "Yoko…" He grabbed a hold of himself in a heartbeat. "What the hell is she doing? One gunman can do nothing here.

A few hasty clicks and his screen showed the squat, pink gunman closing the gap to the colossal mass of energy that was the _Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann_. It wasn't even a pin head in comparison to Simon's vessel.

Kittan's worried face appeared in the corner of Kamina's screen. "She's trying to invade that monster! That means she must intend to kill Simon with her own hands. He is too strong for that. We have to stop her!"

"It sounds like a great idea to me." Kenpachi said with a feral grin. "I've had enough of sitting in a machine. I say we go there and rough him up the old fashioned way."

"No." Rossiu interjected firmly. "If the Tengen Hojo looses any more power we will struggle to keep this form, let alone survive against the Super Tengen Topa when it starts to attack. If anyone leaves, it is a death sentence for everyone onboard.

"But what about Yoko!" roared Kittan.

"She has made her choice."

"QUIET!" Kamina voice blared through every speaker. The mecha fell into a heavy silence. Now that he could think in peace, plans began to form in great cascades through his head.

"I won't leave Yoko. I owe her too much." Kamina began but Rossiu interrupted him.

"You don't make the decisions here, Kamina. I order us to-"

"Shut it, forehead boy." Kamina cut him off harshly. "I intend to sort out every problem we have in one move. It'll be a long shot, but I'm gonna create a shadow clone of this entire mech. That won't win us the battle but it should help keep everyone alive a bit longer. While Simon is tied up trying to hit two targets, I'll hop into a grapearl and help Yoko to cause some trouble inside the Super and hopefully throw off their aim a bit."

"I'm coming too," Kittan said determinedly. Kamina shook his head.

"I need you to take over this guy's controls. You are the next best pilot after all."

Kittan muttered something angrily but seemed as though he accepted Kamina's point. His image flickered away but was instantly replaced by the angular face of Kenpachi.

"You have no excuse for me, boy. I'll make you a deal, I deal with the Meta and leave the area clear for you to take on Simon."

Kamina nodded. "Head down to the hanger. If you can pilot yourself across the gap without getting lost then you're welcome to the fight."

"I am going with you," said a soft but resolute voice. Nia's face appeared, her eyes were set in a way that said nothing Kamina could do would stop her from going. "I need to see Simon. I…"

"It's okay, Nia." Kamina told her gently. "I understand. You can do whatever you feel necessary."

Nia's face lit up. She still looked worn and down trodden but it was as though a weight had been lifted from her. "Thank you, Kamina.

"I'll be down in the hanger as soon as I can. Just give me a few minutes. Make sure everything is ready to go when I get there.

"Okay." Nia confirmed before blinking off of the monitor.

Rossiu's face loomed large before him. "It will take too long for you to stop Simon that way. Without the three of you, we calculated that the _Tengen Hojo _will destabilise after twenty minutes. What then?"

Kamina wished he could punch the man though the screen. Hell, Simon could probably manage it. He had discovered teleportation to punch the man many years ago. "In an hour, there will be no universe left. If we haven't won by that twenty minutes you say, we are pretty boned. Remember though, these machines are our souls and work from our will to fight. Don't give up and you can push past that twenty minutes easily."

Before anyone else could argue, Kamina closed off his comm channel. Drawing in all of his remaining power, he went through the motions of what the hermit Naruto had shown him. Luckily for him there was plenty of excess spiral energy floating around him and by being at the heart of the great mech, he was connected to everything within it. It was a trouble to figure out how to extend the jutsu to the entire craft rather than just himself but the answers came to him with surprising speed.

"Shadow clone jutsu!" he yelled, feeling an instant swelling then depletion of power. His screen went wild for a moment then settled on a replica of the _Tengen Hojo_. Pulling up a new file, Kamina jotted down a series of notes then sent them through to Kittan's console. Happy with his work, he opened up the cockpit door and jumped down to the floor below. With his zanpakuto in hand, he set off toward the hanger. "I'm coming for ya, Simon. Let's make this a good one."

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_A/N: Oh dear God, I'm sorry for how long this took to put out. If you are actually reading this then thank you so much for actually sticking with me for this long. _

_In my defence, a lot has changed between the last update and this one. I am now at University, I have a job and I've stepped up the writing of my work of original. Still an inexcusable length of time ignoring you all though. So again, sorry about that. _

_I'd like to make a special thank you to whoever gave me a tonne of reviews over the course of last month on both stories. I would have sent you a PM but since you signed on as a guest I couldn't. Cheers to everyone else who reviewed over my hiatus too._

_I don't know when the next chapter will be out but I do intend to finish this story. Until then, enjoy._

_-FWF_


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